Friday
by ROBERT A. HEINLEIN
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Paperback (17 June, 1997)
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Reviews (72)

TGIFF - Thank God, I've Finished "Friday"
Writers, unlike elephants and whales, don't have a genetic instinct to go off to some big, cosmically-determined graveyard when the time is right and simply die. At the risk of sounding harsh, they really should. A huge percentage of great modern writers doom themselves to a sullied reputation by continuing to pump out useless, overpriced books long after their initial quality decline, even though their financial stablitity is assured - say, by their late '50s - and many simply keep it up until they keel over on the carpet next to their desk. Science fiction writers are among the worst of the lot, and of those, Heinlein really has to take the cake. He wrote, in my opinion, some of the very best science fiction ever published - and almost all of that was in the 1950s. After the late '60s he simply went off the deep end, and it almost makes me chuckle to think he could get bilge like "Friday" published as late as 1982. The audacity of the man is just...staggering.

You know it's a bad sign when Heinlein writes a female first-person narrator, because he's never been known for making women anything other than objects of desire. Friday certainly isn't a surprise. She's sexy, she's quick, she's a killer...did I mention she's sexy? Did I mention she loves sex? Did I mention she gets it on with practically _everyone_ she meets in the book? It's not that I'm against Heinlein's ideology of free love, of polygamy and polyamory - it's not for me, but I have no moral objections. No, it's the way he slams them over the reader's head in lieu of this little thing called a plot. Stranger still, Heinlein seems to be the very rare man who actually became more socially liberal the older he got, which in other circumstances I would approve; here, though, it's like he just sat down one day in the late '70s and went, "Well, gay sex between men is still evil, but since 1955 I've decided lesbianism is really, really HOT." Okay, Bob; it's your fantasy, I guess. The absolute weirdest aspect of "Friday," however, is watching Heinlein attempt to shoehorn all these sexual proclivities, and his feelings on women, into an actual female character. Friday is just as submissive as every other woman he ever wrote, and guess what, she likes it that way. Twenty pages into the novel she tells us that gang-rape comes with the dangerous territory of being a courier(!), so she might as well enjoy it as much as possible (?!?!). This might work if she was a robot, but she's not, she's a test-tube baby, and Heinlein blathers on and on about she how doesn't feel human and she doesn't think she's human and yadda yadda yadda look! Time for more sex. Did I mention she cries when she realizes she'll never see a pet cat again? But not after being raped, or having her right nipple sawed off? Uh-huh. Go on, Bob, pull the other one.

What's really sad about it all is that it would probably work as a comedy. If Heinlein had decided to write the book as a parody of his own style and writing habits, by God, "Friday" probably would've been very, very funny. And in lighter moments, he does still have a deft hand with comic dialogue, which is basically why the book doesn't totally flunk on every level. But a good 80% of it is just garbage - Heinlein wanting to have his cake and eat it, too. He clearly wanted to write a James Bond-style spy/action/adventure book, AND have there be a very modern female protagonist, AND have a forum to spout his personal ideology over and over again. But it doesn't work. And I'd like to get rid of this book as soon as possible, please.

Awful
I remember telling my grandfather that I was reading this book and seeing him flinch."Heinlein's a good writer, but he's written some bombs and unfortunately you picked up one of his worst."This book was a chore to get through.Heinlein can't write women - even if they're artificial.The treatment of the rape is insulting.Not only does she feel totally fine about it (even marrying one of her rapists later) but then she cries when she gets lost in the woods or when she BURNED POTATOES.At that point I threw the novel around the room a few times and swore not to read anymore, but it was about 200 pages in, so...

Some might say that her reaction is fine because she's written by a man (which is absolutely ridiculous, plenty of men can write women - at least better portaits than this) or not a real human.But then why does the book INSIST INSIST INSIST that she's just like everyone else.Then why doesn't she ACT like it?

Some have argued that this is an adventure book but all of her doings profoundly bored me.There were some nice speeches on racism, but a lot of people have done it a lot better.Also, the supposedly most "influential" part of this book - the idea of America split into Balkanized states - was barely covered.After reading it I couldn't even tell how the different parts of America were so different.(Although the California section was somewhat amusing).I will say that the amount of sex in this book is greatly exaggerated.There really is very little.

I haven't read anything else of Heinlein.I'm open to the fact that he may be a good writer, but this book ranks as one of the worst things I've ever read.Annoying main character, boring adventures, and a world only half-focused.Thumbs way down.

One of my Favorites
heinlein does an excellent job of portraying the mixed up emotions of a cyborg trying to relate to everything in the human world. Friday shows confusion over several situations, and while the book drags on the edge of an adventure novel, it really seems to be about the confusion that a non-human entity has in relating to the human relationships all around her sphere of emotional influence. Given that the relationships she once thought "safe" have become something profoundly different, RAH does a great job of portraying her confusion over what has happened - along with the other feelings of grief, anger, and finally, comprehension. A good storyline, coupled with an excellent undercurrent regarding the difficulties in dealing with ever-changing relationships in an entity that is never truly changing --- or is she?? :)
... Read more

Isbn: 0345414004
Sales Rank: 760643
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Heinlein, Robert A. - Prose & Criticism    4. Science Fiction    5. Science Fiction - General    6. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
by Douglas Adams
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Paperback (27 September, 1995)
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Reviews (92)

A table in the back, please
More like 3.5 stars. This follow-up to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy begins almost immediately where the first book left off. It is again very funny with some interesting social and moral ideas underneath the silly situations. I gave ita lower rating because the whole thing seemed a little forced. It went on longer than the first book and with no good reason. Their is almost no plot at all in this one and the science behind the Restaurant at the End of the Universe gets a little convoluted. A good read, butnotas good as thefirst book.

Nobody Writes Jokes in Base 13
Written by Douglas Adams, "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" was first published in 1980 and is the second instalment of his legendary five-part "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" trilogy. It starts within a matter of hours of where "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" finished so - at the risk of stating the obvious - is entirely the wrong place to start !! The series started life as a radio show, before becoming a book, a television series, a play and a bath towel. Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge in 1952 and died in May 2001 in California.

The Earth has been destroyed, officially to make way for a hyperspace bypass, and only two humans - Arthur Dent and Tricia McMillan - have survived. Arthur was rescued by an old friend called Ford Prefect - a roving reporter for "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", a sort of interstellar Rough Guide. The pair managed to escape the demolition of Earth by sneaking on-board the Vogon ship in charge of its destruction. Arthur and Ford are later picked up by Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed, renegade ex-President of the Galaxy and an old school-friend of Ford's. Beeblebrox's spaceship, "The Heart of Gold", is the most powerful and unpredictable ship in the universe. Its crew is completed by Marvin, a paranoid android, and Trillian - as Tricia is now known - she'd met Zaphod at a party some months previously.

At the end of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", Zaphod had decided to visit Milliways, the restaurant at the end of the universe. However, following an argument with the ship's computer, he has to calculate the improbability factor the need to actually get there himself. Unfortunately, the Vogon ship that destroyed Earth is approaching the "Heart of Gold" with a view to killing the planet's last surviving ex-residents. With the computer frozen, trying to understand how to make a cup of tea for Arthur, there is no apparent escape. The only possible option is to hold a séance, so Zaphod can ask his deceased great-grandfather for help. That help involves a trip to Ursa Minor Beta, home to a certain hugely popular guide book, and Frogstar B, the most evil world in the galaxy and home to the Total Perspective Vortex.

Like "Hitchhiker's...", this is an extremely silly and very easily-read book. However, although there's more of a point to what the characters get up to in this instalment, I'd still recommend reading "Hitchhiker's..." first. Hugely enjoyable and highly recommended.

There is something for every taste in this Restaurant's menu
It is a waste of time trying to read "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" without having read "The Hitchhiker Guide's to The Galaxy". The second novel is a sequel whose understanding and appreciation totally depend on understanding the first book. And those who didn't like the previous book are very likely to not like this one as well.

Douglas Adams is back with his witty sense of humor and unstoppable imagination. "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" picks up from where "The Hitchhiker Guide's to The Galaxy" finished. But before the four humans and the robot reach the title's restaurant there is much weird adventure to come.

Those readers who enjoyed the first book have much more here to be delighted. To begin with, besides the sense of humor, Adams has injected much more adventure in this second installment. There is much more to gasp for than to laugh at. But, as a matter of fact, it is not a problem, since the funny parts are really funny.

In this second step of "The Hitchhiker Guide's to The Galaxy" trilogy (consisted of five books!) Adams exploit deeper the personality, fears and anxiety of his characters. For the most part of the book, the most important character that is the center of the action is Zaphod. But Arthur, Ford, Trillian and the delightfully depressed Marvin are never forgotten. In the next chapters the narrative splits in two different poles with two groups of characters.

However little he appears, Marvin is still the best. His depressive pre-prozac behavior is one of the funniest things in the book. His interactions with other machines and human beings are unforgettable.

The book `ends' with a perfect hook for its sequel "Life, Universe and Everything". Adams has a knock for leaving you breathless and waiting for what will come next. One can only hope that he keeps up the level of funny ideas and unstoppable adventure.
... Read more

Isbn: 0345391810
Sales Rank: 806
Subjects:  1. Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Science Fiction    3. Science Fiction - Adventure    4. Science Fiction - Series    5. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Adventures in a TV Nation
by Michael Moore, Kathleen Glynn
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 1998)
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Reviews (23)

Funny and Entertaining
This book has some very funny interesting parts, it began very good but good a little bit slow towards the end, I will bet that watching the show is probably much more entertaining.
But as always, Michael Moore delivers!

just an episode guide
I am a huge fan of TV nation and assumed this would be the book for me. I thought this book would be a sort of "making of". However all it does is retell certain segments from tv nation, with little extra added. Having just watched the all the tv nation episodes, this became tedious. I am unsure who this book is for, as if you like tv nation you find this boring, and if you don't like tv nation you certainly wont like this book.

More & Moore Television
TV NATION is also written by Kathleen Glynn but this book is Moore through and through and is much easier on the brain than Moore's other publications and certainly a lot Moore fun. You can get TV NATION on VHS at the moment but the DVD release is on the way soon. Basically Moore and his production team got backing to do a television series about various topics in America that concern the average Joe Soap after he finished making Roger & Me. The result was the award winning TV NATION and this book talks about the shows and what they did. Here are some of things they got up too.

*Love night for the KKK - Moore goes around with minority groups to KKK meetings.
*The invasion of Greenwich Beach, Connecticut - The locals have hired security to keep people off this beach other than themselves.
*Payback - Setting off car alarms outside of a major car alarm manufacturer's house. Calling up the boss's of telemarketers all day long etc.
*Crackers - The corporate crime fighter chicken that goes around American exposing corporate crime.
*Getting CEOs to see if they know anything about the products they sell - Can they roll a cigarette?
*Brian Anthony - A black American who has been arrested and questioned hundreds of times even though he has a totally clean record.
*Black Vs White Taxi stopping - Who will the driver pick up? The black or the white guy?
*Kentucky Slaves! - In 1995 Kentucky decided to abolish slavery.
*1.5 Million Lock-ups and growing - what to do when you are the one in eight sent to prison.
*Selling your country - How to band together and sell your country over to the next one and get rich quick.
*Solicitation - How Junk Mail works and what kind of can WE send to people around America.
*Corporate Sabotage - How to get even the REAL way.
*Yuri the KGB spy - who because he does not have a job after the Cold War goes working for Mike instead in America. Missions include - Who is buried in Nixon's grave.
*Flint Nukes - Mike goes to Russia in search of the Nuke that was targeted on his home town.
*Communism Across America - Mike buys a big truck, paints it red with a hammer and sickle and has it driven across America to see what will happen.
*Serial Killer Neighbours - White? Male? How much can you really get away with? Why not EXPERIMENT and see!
*Cobb County - How much tax money does that place get and for what?
*Peace in Bosnia - How Mike got the heads of the warring factions to sing Barney songs... I love you... you love me..
*Lobby Congress - for $5,000 Mike manages to buy a new congress bill calling for August 16th, 1994 to be known as TV NATION day... and gets it!

Mike then talks about what was CENSORED from the TV nation shows and why, including spots featuring anti-abortionists threatening to kill people. Following this interview two abortion clinic workers where murdered by an anti-abortionist who probably prefers the old days of $5 backstreet coat hanger jobs. The Savings and Loans scandal was never aired because most of the rich where never convicted. The story about a young boy who turns up at the funeral of AIDS victims with a big sign that say - God Hates Fags, was also cut from the series. They where not allowed to air segments on condoms nor where they allowed to recreate the LA riots like we do Civil War enactments nor where they actually allowed to reveal that CUBA has better MEDICAL CARE than America.

This is great fun and informative read. If you can get the series on DVD or VHS then it makes it the even more enjoyable. This is a great Moore book with the usual witty lines every paragraph or so. Certainly one for the Moore collection and it maybe even be a little better than Stupid White Men. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060988096
Sales Rank: 98484
Subjects:  1. General    2. Humor    3. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    4. Popular Culture - General    5. TV nation (Television program)    6. Television - History & Criticism    7. Topic - Political    8. Humor / Essays   

Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American
by Michael Moore
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 September, 1997)
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Editorial Review

Who says the left wing doesn't have a sense of humor? Maybe it doesn't, but documentarian Michael Moore sure does--Exhibit A was Roger & Me; B was the ill-fated TV Nation; and C is 1997's print skirmish Downsize This! Moore's politics are rabidly liberal, populist, and anti-big business--about what you'd expect from the former editor of Mother Jones. While this restricts his audience to Americans on the left side of the aisle, for them Downsize This! will be a chance to point and laugh hysterically (if ruefully) at the clique of rich white guys who run everything.

Moore is at his best as a prankster, whether it's trying to see if Pat Buchanan will take a campaign donation from the John Wayne Gacy Fan Club (yes) or whether he can have Bob Dornan committed to an insane asylum based on his bizarre behavior (no, but it was close). Moore is one of our sharpest satirists, and Downsize This! makes one wish he would write a "Sorry State of the Union" every year. But only if it doesn't cut into his moviemaking--that's too big a price to pay. --Michael Gerber ... Read more

Reviews (135)

How we're living now......
The valuable work Michael Moore does forms the visuals that were once used by network news shows like 60 Minutes and Nightline to highlight the "consumer graft" that took place in our loose bureaucratic system, but applied to government. Government graft is much more fertile soil, however, and easier to report upon, and probably easier to locate - whether Republican or Democrat. The large media networks have given up on the stories, or could be considered part of it, now, so people like Moore are necessary to pick up the slack. It would be interesting to show how well government graft pays in relation to consumer graft, to see how former officials have catapulted themselves to the level of luxury to see how our tax dollars continue to work for them, long after they've left office. Those reality shows aren't typically run, however; it's much easier to appeal to the more important aspects of who needs what now, regardless of whether it is ever delivered through tax dollars. The field of dreams of broken promises to the public looks more like the yellow brick road to a deceptive OZ and the men or women behind the phantom mask that can't or won't deliver from behind the smoke screen that has become government today, well rooted in government yesterday. If government was voluntary self service, not a soul could be found to do it, very likely. So, we tolerate a system of people working for government, its perks and pensions, rather than government helping people survive and flourish. What is civil service about that? If corporate executives and authoritative organizations run the government show, we certainly don't need the "warm bodies" that fill the apparently plush official seats we have to announce their votes. That can be done from the hall of business rather than government.That elected officials, themselves, have become little more than rubber stamps in a rubber stamp world of fundraising for re-election to keep highly sought after golden pedestals is the permanent problem of American democracy (or any government) that no one challenges sufficiently to curb or contain it; yet all know it is the huge mushroom cloud it is that leaves nothing in its wake except cleanup and continuing cost cuts by consumers to keep up with the spread of its radioactive waste. First it was low taxes; now government wants social security cut to feed its exhorbitant appetite for luxury. Perhaps, more Michael Moore's need to be writing about the limits of government graft and how willing the U.S. is to indulge it - to its own demise, and certainly, to curb its own comfort in favor of the few who would convert the principles upon which it is founded to their own privatization campaign of "me first." Government pensions and lifetime salaries cannot help but bury America as government continues to burgeon. Why does no one look at those costs?

First Rate: Humour, Information, andPolemic Wisdom ...
Didactic/Polemic [?]...
Humour pervades this book. At the very least, it can be said to be a good read for those with a sense of humour. However, some do not take Moore's work as humour, mainly for partisanreasons.
A scarey point is , and Moore notes this in an additional section done after the Hard Back was out. His jokes about downsizing everyone and using prisonersas the labour force have been in fact put into action, in fact its a major trend in the penal system. As Moore also notes, the prison system itself may be taken offshore if the plans to build a prison or prisons in Mexico is actuallyallowed to happen; even Moore calls this craziness.
The factual sections of the book have been well researched, and I am sure Moore could substantiate all of the claims made, if you look into the credits for the book. More University researchassistants in this book ( seems to be a trend if you look into Franken's"Team Franken"researchers).
Moore gives plenty of guidelines to things such asthe "Etiquette" of downsizing. And even tests the ethical nature of some groups by forming some legitimate, but far-fetched named groups ( Satanworshippersfor Dole, as one example), making donations by legitimate cheques, and seeing who cashesthe cheques. Whatever can be said about Moore's ideas, he sure can come up with some unforgettable concepts for actions.
He touches on many , very many, ideas that have been held by many, including the destruction of the American Dream.
The Satiricalpoints he makes, such as pointing out that the Republicans and Democrats are not significantlydifferent( somuch so that he labels them the "Republicrats") all make some sort of perversesense.
The Chapter listing pretty muchcovers the areas he covers, except that is more fun to read the contents. New ways to pick a president provides for some chuckles, but seems a little too third worldly... even though he claims that parts of the UScould qualify forthird world status.

An amazing book. No doubt very villified by the conservatives, but if Ann Coulter can get away with her extreme articles, then Mike's extendedseries of "Op-Ed"Chapters can be accepted on that ground alone.

Vintage Moore
This is basically familiar Michael Moore fare.The chapter that stands out is "Why Doesn't GM Sell Crack?" Republicans have succeeded for far too long in convincing people that deregulation and tort reform are tantamount to personal freedom and liberty, and that laws that protect people from products and services that cause injury and suffering and even death are tyrannical and totalitarian.I can not believe the degree to which they get away with this, and I also can not believe the general lack of response from the political left.In this chapter, Moore takes on these distortions, with his typical gusto, in a way that is compelling and accessible, which I think is one of Moore's talents.Personally, I wish he had expanded "Why Doesn't GM Sell Crack?" to book length.Hopefully, that will be a project for another day. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060977337
Subjects:  1. 1993-2001    2. American wit and humor    3. General    4. Government - National    5. Humor    6. Politics and government    7. Social conditions    8. United States   

The Good, the Bad & the Difference: How to Tell Right from Wrong in Everyday Situations
by RANDY COHEN
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (19 March, 2002)
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Editorial Review

Humbly perched atop his "accidental" vantage point (he never intended to be an ethicist), New York Times Magazine columnist Randy Cohen eagerly analyzes the circuitous moral landscape below and offers smart advice in The Good, the Bad & the Difference. Nearly 200 reader letters, Cohen's thoughtful responses, and occasional counterpoints from guest ethicists make up the bulk of this engaging collection. Divided into seven topics, questions seek guidance on appropriate behavior at work, school, and home; with friends; in public; in the medical field; and in situations where money counts. They range from the clear-cut (seeking justification for acts of revenge), to the no-win situation (think "whistle-blower"). The ethicist in Cohen provides a quick, logically gleaned response; the novelist in him "skillfully limns the complex and subtle relationships and the unspoken obligations that bind people together"; and the humorist in him makes it all irresistible. Each chapter's "Pop Ethics Quiz" invites readers to exercise their own moral muscles on serious and whimsical dilemmas. While Cohen claims no formal background in ethics, perhaps his stint as a writer for Late Night with David Letterman was school enough, for he shows a remarkable ability to smoke out the wrong and carefully preserve the right, even in the kookiest situations. --Liane Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Stick with NPR
I bought this book after hearing Randy Cohen on NPR. In extremely small doses, he is sometimes amusing as he addresses topics that made me think. However in book form his "style" translates into simply being annoying. The author may think he is being funny in how he tries to insert his own political views (whether it has anything to do with the topic at hand or not), but I don't. Save your money and just listen to him on NPR.

Thought provoking
As expected, a book expounding one man's "solution" to ethical dilemmas would elicit a wide range of opinions. I agree somewhat with some of Mr. Cohen's detractors arguments regarding his opinions and even some of his personal motivations. However, that is not the only criterion by which such a book should be judged.

What I like about the book is the exposition of a wide range of personal and professional dilemmas, many of which I would never think about. While I don't personally agree with the authors response all of the time, I appreciate the opportunity to form opinions of my own should a similar or analogous situation arise in my own life. It is for inclusion of a wide range of thought-provoking situations that I give this book "4".

he should practice what he preaches
This author used a recent television appearance to promote this book as a chance to share his political views.How "ethical" is that? ... Read more

Isbn: 0385502737
Subjects:  1. Applied ethics    2. Ethical problems    3. Ethics    4. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    5. Mores    6. Philosophy    7. Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy   

Girl in Hyacinth Blue
by Susan Vreeland
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (03 October, 2000)
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Editorial Review

There are only 35 known Vermeers extant in the world today. In Girlin Hyacinth Blue, Susan Vreeland posits the existence of a 36th. The story begins at a private boys' academy in Pennsylvania where, in the wake of a faculty member's unexpected death, math teacher Cornelius Engelbrecht makes a surprising revelation to one of his colleagues. He has, he claims, an authentic Vermeer painting, "a most extraordinary painting in which a young girl wearing a short blue smock over a rust-colored skirt sat in profile at a table by an open window." His colleague, an art teacher, is skeptical and though the technique and subject matter are persuasively Vermeer-like, Engelbrecht can offer no hard evidence--no appraisal, no papers--to support his claim. He says only that his father, "who always had a quick eye for fine art, picked it up, let us say, at an advantageous moment." Eventually it is revealed that Engelbrecht's father was a Nazi in charge of rounding up Dutch Jews for deportation and that the picture was looted from one doomed family's home:

That's when I saw that painting, behind his head. All blues and yellows and reddish brown, as translucent as lacquer. It had to be a Dutch master. Just then a private found a little kid covered with tablecloths behind some dishes in a sideboard cabinet. We'd almost missed him.

By the end of "Love Enough," this first of eight interrelated stories tracing the history of "Girl in Hyacinth Blue," the painting's fate at the hands of guilt-riddled Engelbrecht fils is in question. Unfortunately, there is no doubt about the probable destiny of the previous owners, the Vredenburg family of Rotterdam, who take center stage in the powerful "A Night Different From All Other Nights." Vreeland handles this talewith subtlety and restraint, setting it at Passover, the year before the looting, and choosing to focus on the adolescent Hannah Vredenburg's difficult passage into adulthood in the face of an uncertain future. In the next story, "Adagia," she moves even further into the past to sketch "how love builds itself unconsciously ... out of the momentous ordinary" in a tender portrait of a longtime marriage. Back and back Vreeland goes, back through other owners, other histories, to the very inception of the painting in the homely, everyday objects of the Vermeer household--a daughter's glass of milk, a son's shirt in need of buttons, a wife's beloved sewing basket--"the unacknowledged acts of women to hallow home." Girl in Hyacinth Blue ends with the painting's subject herself, Vermeer's daughter Magdalena, who first sends the portrait out into the world as payment for a family debt, then sees it again, years later at an auction.

She thought of all the people in all the paintings she had seen that day, not just Father's, in all the paintings of the world, in fact. Their eyes, the particular turn of a head, their loneliness or suffering or grief was borrowed by an artist to be seen by other people throughout the years who would never see them face to face. People who would be that close to her, she thought, a matter of a few arms' lengths, looking, looking, and they would never know her.

In this final passage, Susan Vreeland might be describing her own masterpiece as well as Vermeer's. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Reviews (183)

A good read...
I enjoyed this book, but had to keep reminding myself that it was written going back in time.I think I would have really enjoyed it more had I read the first story last - I actually went back and re-read it when I finished the book.While I do not believe in hauntings or possession, the painting had a curious effect on the last owner (first owner in book) and I am sure it was as a direct result of his feelings for his father and not the painting itself.

I recommend this book - it is a beautiful story in my opinion.

Kate

Appallingly written rip-off
In fairness, this is not really a rip-off of a better-known book about a Vermeer painting (Tracy Chevalier's lovely Girl with a Pearl Earring.)It's simply a dreadful book.Vreeland's prose is loose and sloppy, and some of the "facts" she presents in her stories are simply incorrect.However, what really makes this book a loser is that her stories are just dull, dull, dull.Every time I put this book down I had to *force* myself to pick it up again.Do yourself a favour and don't waste your time.

Beautiful Book!
I really loved this book. I do have to admit though, at the beginning I kept having to remind myself that the stories were going backward in time.
I really do not love short stories, but this really attracted me, each story related to the one painting, and each story so connected. This is my first book by this author, she writes with such beauty and insight....I look forward to reading her others. ... Read more

Isbn: 014029628X
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Literary   

A Brief History of Time : The Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary Edition
by STEPHEN HAWKING
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 September, 1998)
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Editorial Review

Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history, wrote the modern classic A Brief History of Time to help nonscientists understand the questions being asked by scientists today: Where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end, and if so, how? Hawking attempts to reveal these questions (and where we're looking for answers) using a minimum of technical jargon. Among the topics gracefully covered are gravity, black holes, the Big Bang, the nature of time, and physicists' search for a grand unifying theory. This is deep science; these concepts are so vast (or so tiny) as to cause vertigo while reading, and one can't help but marvel at Hawking's ability to synthesize this difficult subject for people not used to thinking about things like alternate dimensions. The journey is certainly worth taking, for, as Hawking says, the reward of understanding the universe may be a glimpse of "the mind of God." --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (297)

Good Until You Get To The End
As Hawking confesses, this is one of those Physics books which will try to explain you everything without feeding you real meat or printing single equation (i.e., except E=MC2). So the result is that after reading this book you would start believing that somebody taught you Chinese but apparently you can't write a single letter in Chinese. I bought the book simply because I think Hawking is probably the closest in living people who can sit next to Einstein and Newton. The way it starts is really engaging. Illustrations and those full color images are absolutely fantastic. The way the book goes is to take you on the journey to just few microseconds after the big bang to few minutes after. The most interesting part of the book is the discussions and disputes about singularity. I guess that alone (or just that, depending on your view) is worth the price of the book. It's written with lots of passion, clever remarks and it will make you think. But soon enough you will realize you are a helpless being quickly descending in the muddy quicksand. As the chapter passes by, the topics get increasingly fuzzy and extremely confusing. I won't blame the author as the publisher didn't allow him to put "real meat" in his writings. These kind of advanced topics are inherently difficult to understand without presenting actual equations and dealing with guts and gore. I read the later parts of the book 3 times trying to make sense of it and finally came to a conclusion that it is impossible to extract a logical meaning of that part of text, even though it's syntactically correct. So buy this book to get some first hand insights in to singularity and dive in to black holes, but save your time by skipping later chapters.

An excellent starting point
For those who are fascinated by physics and the most profound philosophical questions, but did not get much past trig in their mathematics education, Hawking's book is the perfect starting point. It is very well written and accessible to the thoughtful layman. The introduction to this vast field of science offered by this book lays a perfect foundation for following up with books on this topic by other authors such as Kaku, Greene, and Feynman.

Science at Its Best
If you've been away from science for a while, or have failed to come to grips with the current foray of the physical (cf., biological) sciences, this is THE book to read. You'll be pleasantly, elegantly, coherently, and intelligibly guided through the breakthrough in chemical and physical science. And you'll also become more aware of this century's greatest scientific challenge: How to unify to contrary, but not contradictory, theories about how the world works -- quantum theory and relativity theory. The former works well on the microscopic level, while the later works well on the macroscopic level, but the two are at odds when "combined." How could this be?

There's no real answer -- not yet, but not for lack of engaging effort. You'll encounter everything from quarks to quasars to black holes and dead stars (are they the same?) to relativity to the anthropic principle, the three paradigms of time -- from Copernicus to Penrose and from Newton to Einstein. Intensely condensed and easily digestible, "A Brief History of Time" is a remarkable achievement and a joy to read. It's a review of all "must-know" physics and chemistry that will update the literate person of today in very accessible, easy-to-read, yet dense writing.

The remarkable thing about this tour d'force is that, after all the efforts from Sir Francis Bacon to today to expunge metaphysics from the scientific blackboard, metaphysics have reintered through the mathematics' back door. One has to ask one's self whether or not not-so-black holes and strings (things that are wholly unobservable) are more satisfactory "scientific" explanations for things that go bump in the night than the granduer of Aristotle's and Ptolemy's four elements. Is it really science to "posit" theories based wholly on derivative experience and mathematical probabilities (or dare I say "possibilities")? This, I think, is the ultimate question this book poses! And maybe it's time to reassess to what extent we must go to do to purge mystery from the experience of life. Aren't some questions just unanswerable? Aren't "black holes" and "strings" just alternative explanations for the Force or Allah used by others. Once we allowed the invisible gravity into the foray, where do we stop? (Paradoxically, despite the ubiquity of its presence, the word "gravity" does not appear in the book's otherwise excellent glossary.)

However the reader decides these questions for him- or herself, one is confidently armed to attack them head on. I am by no means a "scientific" person, but this wonderful overview offers enough armamentaria to think about the physical sciences intelligently. For that, and for Hawking's incredible clarity, this book is worthy of it continued long-term success. ... Read more

Isbn: 0553380168
Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. History    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Science / General   

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
by Eric Schlosser
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (08 January, 2002)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
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Editorial Review

On any given day, one out of four Americans opts for a quick and cheap meal at a fast-food restaurant, without giving either its speed or its thriftiness a second thought. Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. Eric Schlosser, an award-winning journalist, opens his ambitious and ultimately devastating exposé with an introduction to the iconoclasts and high school dropouts, such as Harlan Sanders and the McDonald brothers, who first applied the principles of a factory assembly line to a commercial kitchen. Quickly, however, he moves behind the counter with the overworked and underpaid teenage workers, onto the factory farms where the potatoes and beef are grown, and into the slaughterhouses run by giant meatpacking corporations. Schlosser wants you to know why those French fries taste so good (with a visit to the world's largest flavor company) and "what really lurks between those sesame-seed buns." Eater beware: forget your concerns about cholesterol, there is--literally--feces in your meat.

Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906: nightmare working conditions, union busting, and unsanitary practices that introduce E. coli and other pathogens into restaurants, public schools, and homes. Almost as disturbing is his description of how the industry "both feeds and feeds off the young," insinuating itself into all aspects of children's lives, even the pages of their school books, while leaving them prone to obesity and disease. Fortunately, Schlosser offers some eminently practical remedies. "Eating in the United States should no longer be a form of high-risk behavior," he writes. Where to begin? Ask yourself, is the true cost of having it "your way" really worth it? --Lesley Reed ... Read more

Reviews (1184)

Do you still want a burger?
Incredible, essential and finally out for all to see.Take a look at what goes into the "American meal" and see if you emerge changed.This book is a gift.

Nothing Beats a Fine Burger
Frankly, there is a dark side to anything and the subtitle of this book is a transparent and alarmist attempt to catch attention and sell books.I for one, resent the author's sometimes snide implication that the market isn't capable of providing healthy food or that people aren't capable of making more educated eating choices.However, for any lover of fine burgage, this is a captivating summary of the history and scope of the fast-food market that is both well-researched and an interesting read.

This book gets four stars based solely upon the author's recognition of the ultra-quality In-n-Out burger--the product of a chain born in Southern California that is fanatically dedicated to providing the freshest and highest-quality fast food according to a recipe and menu that has been unchanged for over 40 years.(Name any other restaurant that can guarantee that the meat was never frozen and where the french fries start their day in potato form and I'll be there buying lunch.)The author's recognition that the entire market is or should be chasing In-n-Out, i.e. focusing on the quality of the food, truly shows that this guy knows his stuff.

If consumers accept crappy merchandise, that is what the market will provide; rather, consumers should demand quality, especially when their food is concerned.Perhaps the message of this book lies more in the fact that so many of us fail to exercise our freedom to discriminate between good and bad even when all it takes is walking across the street to a better restaurant.

fast food nation
Am i the only one that sees the obvious here. This book does enlighten us on the harmfullness of fast food and the chemicals they put in it, and so on. But then why does the FDA approve it!! Why are they allowing the gross food to be sold. Because they are taking payoffs from the fast food companies. Read the book "natural cures they dont want you to know about" and you will know all about it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060938455
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Convenience foods    4. Corporate & Business History - General    5. Fast food restaurants    6. Food Science    7. Food industry    8. Food industry and trade    9. Industries - General    10. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    11. Popular Culture - General    12. Social History    13. Sociology    14. United States    15. Reading Group Guide   

Prodigal Summer: A Novel
by Barbara Kingsolver
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (16 October, 2001)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
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Editorial Review

There is no one in contemporary literature quite like BarbaraKingsolver. Her dialogue sparkles with sassy wit and earthy poetry; herdescriptions are rooted in daily life but are also on familiar terms with theeternal. With Prodigal Summer, she returns from the Congo to a "wrinkle on the mapthat lies between farms and wildness." And there, in an isolated pocket ofsouthern Appalachia, she recounts not one but three intricate stories.

Exuberant, lush, riotous--the summer of the novel is "the season of extravagantprocreation" in which bullfrogs carelessly lay their jellied masses of eggs inthe grass, "apparently confident that their tadpoles would be able to swimthrough the lawn like little sperms," and in which a woman may learn to "telltime with her skin." It is also the summer in which a family of coyotes movesinto the mountains above Zebulon Valley:

The ghost of a creature long extinct was coming in on silent footprints,returning to the place it had once held in the complex anatomy of this forestlike a beating heart returned to its body. This is what she believed she wouldsee, if she watched, at this magical juncture: a restoration.

The "she" is Deanna Wolfe, a wildlife biologist observing the coyotes from herisolated aerie--isolated, that is, until the arrival of a young hunter who makesher even more aware of the truth that humans are only an infinitesimal portionin the ecological balance. This truth forms the axis around which the other twonarratives revolve: the story of a city girl, entomologist, and new widow andher efforts to find a place for herself; and the story of Garnett Walker andNannie Rawley, who seem bent on thrashing out the countless intimate lessons ofbiology as only an irascible traditional farmer and a devotee of organicagriculture can. As Nannie lectures Garnett, "Everything alive is connected toevery other by fine, invisible threads. Things you don't see can help youplenty, and things you try to control will often rear back and bite you, andthat's the moral of the story."

Structurally, that gossamer web is the story: images, phrases, and eventslink the narratives, and these echoes are rarely obvious, always serendipitous.Kingsolver is one of those authors for whom the terrifying elegance of nature isboth aesthetic wonder and source of a fierce and abiding moral vision. She mayhave inherited Thoreau's mantle, but she piles up riches of her own making,blending her extravagant narrative gift with benevolent concise humor. Shetreads the line between the sentimental and the glorious like nobody else inAmerican literature. --Kelly Flynn ... Read more

Reviews (394)

I hated the last page!
I never wanted this book to end.I felt as though I were bidding farewell to friends, or at the very least, interesting and cantankerous aquaintances.I'm a devoted Kingsolver fan, but this book was different...lighter, funnier, floating through the titular season and wrapping the reader in all its fecundity.The voices of Appalachia became so clear, the situations so real and heartbreaking (or hilarious) I just never wanted to let go.If you've never read Kingsolver, this is a good place to start.

So Beautiful
This is the first Kingsolver novel I've read.I am still smiling over the BEAUTY of it.I felt as if I was a part of the nature that enveloped the characters in this novel.I loved the way the lives of the 3 characters all inter related.

When I read one of the negative reviews who said it was boring at the beginning, I think I understand where they are coming from....BUT...I think it is like being in nature....if all you are looking for is artificial "entertainment", you won't find it.But, if you relax and wait, nature will provide you with all of the REAL entertainment there is.

What a beautiful novel.The words, the feelings, the images.

Thank you Barbara Kingsolver.

Be prepared to learn about biology and life in the mountains
Kingsolver is one author whose books can be devoured in rapid succession--you aren't going to get bored with repeated plot elements or the same setting over and over again.She delivers a terrific interwoven novel of three parallel stories with the shared theme of the importance of preserving predators to maintain ecosytems from bug-size to mammal-size.I loved this for the storyline and for the biological science I picked up during the reading.She delivers a masterful ending in which leaves the reader at peace with the way the characters from the three different storylines came together.Be prepared to keep turning the pages when you pick this novel up. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060959037
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. General    5. Fiction / General   

Circles : Fifty Roundtrips Through History Technology Science Culture
by James Burke
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (05 December, 2000)
list price: $24.00 -- our price: $16.32
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Editorial Review

Unlike Perry Mason, James Burke does not try to assemble watertight (if convoluted) cases. His essays in the history of technology are more like random walks, paeans to serendipity. In The Knowledge Web Burke attempted to duplicate on paper the feeling of inter- and cross-linking trends that you find in history and on the World Wide Web. The essays in Circles are more artificially restricted, topological circles that wrap around. A typical trip goes from the Space Shuttle to Skylab to Werner von Braun to feedback to digestion to lab animals to the Humane Society to sea rescues to charting sea currents to Foucault to astronomical photography to the solar corona to Skylab. Whew!

"There are two reasons why I make such play of the unstructured nature of history, but then, in this book, give it a formal shape," Burke says. "One reason is that otherwise these essays would have mirrored the serendipity I described, just going from anywhere to anywhere.... Choosing to go round in circles, and to end each story where it begins, lets me illustrate perhaps the most intriguing aspect of serendipity at work, which shows itself in the way in which history generates the most extraordinary coincidences." He might have added that trying to guess how Burke proposes to connect all this up makes these tales a game for reader as well as writer, a most educational amusement. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Entertaining history
If you like Paul Harvey's radio factoids, "The rest of the story", you will like Circles.Burke takes the genre to a different audience, though.I'm reminded of Luis Bunuel's Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie.In 'Circles, curiosities of class, wealth and intellectual frailty get center stage.For example, Chapter 2 of 50 is devoted to musings about a broken porcelain cup.This leads us to Wedgwood, (who the class conscious will know), and Wedgwood reminds Burke of one William Hamilton and his favorite mistress, Emma Lyon. Mr. Hamilton was an 18th century expert on Pompeii and seems to have exchanged his sketches of pots for Ms. Lyon.

As introduced, few will recognize either William or Emma.But, if you know the rest of the story, Emma turns out to be the leading character in several Hollywood moral plays such as 'That Hamilton Woman' (1941), 'Lady Hamilton' (1968), 'Lady Hamilton' (1921), 'The Divine Lady' (1929).Burke finds the Napoleon-Nelson-Hamilton affair a curious nexus of international politics, art and high-culture, then brings us back to his porcelain cup via Coleridge, Samuel Morse, and 19th century railroads.

Enjoy.

Burke Puts Babble Into Print
This book is a seemingly endless sequence of unrelated babble. As an avid reader of science non-fiction, I find this book to be annoying and tedious. It is as if no one even considered proofreading the end product, since each essay absurdly draws connections by making giant leaps in logic without offering any meaningful explanation as to why. Frankly, reading this book gave me a headache, and believe me I tried very hard to read it through -- especially after buying it full retail.

Not as Good as previous works
I've loved most of James Burke's Works, but found this one to no be quite up to the standard of his other works.Still a good read. ... Read more

Isbn: 074320008X
Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History Of Technology    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Technology    7. Science / General   

Incisive character studies of Queen Victoria's five daughters provide the framework for a lively survey of 19th-century European history. With three brothers securing the English throne, the princesses' royal duty was to further Britain's interests through marriage. Vivacious, intelligent Vicky (1840-1901), the spoiled eldest, had a happy union with Hohenzollern prince Frederick William, though her liberal views were unpopular in Prussia and vehemently resisted by her son Willy, who eventually became the emperor of Germany. Sensitive, altruistic Alice (1843-78); dutiful, dull Lenchen (1846-1923); and shy baby sister Beatrice (1857-1944) all married minor German royalty--though Beatrice, intended to be her domineering mother's spinster companion, didn't marry until she was 28 and continued to live in England at Victoria's beck and call. Centuries-old custom dictated that princesses must not wed subjects, but artistic, rebellious Louise (1848-1939) married a Scottish nobleman anyway and managed to lead a slightly less restricted life than her sisters, particularly as a strong supporter of charitable organizations for women. Jerrold Packard, a veteran historian-biographer with six previous books to his credit, spins an enjoyably old-fashioned narrative emphasizing personal relationships among Europe's royalty and their impact on political developments. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Isbn: 0312195621
Subjects:  1. 1819-1901    2. 19th century    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Europe - Great Britain - General    6. Family    7. Great Britain    8. Great Britain - History - 19th Century    9. Historical - British    10. History    11. Marriages of royalty and nobil    12. Marriages of royalty and nobility    13. Mothers and daughters    14. Queen of Great Britain,    15. Royalty    16. Victoria,    17. Women    18. Women - 19th Century History    19. Alice    20. Beatrice    21. Helena Augusta Victoria    22. History / Great Britain    23. Louise    24. Victoria   

Despite these weaknesses, Kingsolver's fully realized, three-dimensional characters make The Poisonwood Bible compelling, especially in the first half, when Nathan Price is still at the center of the action. And in her treatment of Africa and the Africans she is at her best, exhibiting the acute perception, moral engagement, and lyrical prose that have made her previous novels so successful. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Isbn: 0060930535
Subjects:  1. 1960-1997    2. Congo (Democratic Republic)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. History    6. Literary    7. Fiction / Literary    8. Reading Group Guide    9. Missionaries   

The Lovely Bones works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the lost world of the living, following her family's dramas over the years like an episode of My So-Called Afterlife.Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family, and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun. Random acts and missed opportunities run throughout the book--Susie recalls her sole kiss with a boy on Earth as "like an accident--a beautiful gasoline rainbow." Though sentimental at times, The Lovely Bones is a moving exploration of loss and mourning that ultimately puts its faith in the living and that is made even more powerful by a cast of convincing characters. Sebold orchestrates a big finish, and though things tend to wrap up a little too well for everyone in the end, one can only imagine (or hope) that heaven is indeed a place filled with such happy endings. --Brad Thomas Parsons ... Read more

Isbn: 0316666343
Subjects:  1. Crimes against    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Literary    5. Murder victims' families    6. Psychological    7. Psychological fiction    8. Teenage girls    9. Fiction / Psychological   

After finishing Loewen's alternately angry and bemused exposé, readers will likely never trust a roadside historical marker or tour guide again--which may prompt them to turn to history books to check things out for themselves. As well they should. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Isbn: 0684870673
Subjects:  1. Errors, inventions, etc    2. General    3. Historic sites    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: American    8. Monuments    9. United States    10. United States - General    11. Education / General   

For expectant parents, it's part of the tradition to pore endlessly over baby-name books searching for the perfect moniker. Names carry stereotypes, vary in perceived attractiveness (a blond bombshell named Gertrude?), and help influence how we see ourselves. As Sigmund Freud once said, "A human being's name is a principal component in her person, perhaps a piece of his soul." In Beyond Jennifer and Jason, Madison and Montana, name experts Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran present a baby-name book that goes far beyond the usual name lists and definitions. Satran and Rosenkrantz provide a thorough history of American naming traditions, discuss the psychological and sociological impact of names, and, yes, include list after list after list of possibilities organized into categories: popular names, old-fashioned names, comfy names, yuppie names, African-American names, androgynous names, Shakespearean names, unpopular names, creative names, mythological names, effective and ineffective middle names, classical names... and so on. Annotated with humorous notes, descriptions, quotes, and name-derivation definitions, the book is a fun and fascinating read even for those not debating between Gravity and Jane or Mason and Hendrick. --Ericka Lutz ... Read more

Isbn: 0312974620
Subjects:  1. Baby Names    2. Child Care/Parenting    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth   

If nothing else, A Walk in the Woods is proof positive that the journey is the destination. As Bryson and Katz haul their out-of-shape, middle-aged butts over hill and dale, the reader is treated to both a very funny personal memoir and a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places it passes through. Whether you plan to make a trip like this one yourself one day or only care to read about it, A Walk in the Woods is a great way to spend an afternoon. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Isbn: 0767902521
Subjects:  1. Appalachian Trail    2. Description and travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Natural history    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - General    8. United States - Northeast - General    9. United States - South - East South Central (General)    10. Travel / United States / General   

"Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood," writes Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes."Worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." Welcome, then, to the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. It turns out that prospects weren't so great back in the old country either--not with Malachy for a father. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting cliches about drunken Irish manhood are based. Mix in abject poverty and frequent death and illness and you have all the makings of a truly difficult early life. Fortunately, in McCourt's able hands it also has all the makings for a compelling memoir. ... Read more

Isbn: 068484267X
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Ethnic Cultures - General    6. Genealogy    7. General    8. Historical - General    9. Ireland    10. Irish Americans    11. Limerick (Limerick)    12. Biography & Autobiography / General