Editorial Review

John Grisham tackles nonfiction for the first time with Read more

Reviews (26)

I must apologize
I wrote that the Broker was not the book I should strongly recommend. Well, I'm astonished now, because Mr Grisham knew about ties between Cia and Italian Telecom. How did he manage? Well, back to the Innocent man. I have read some of the recension before me. I think it could be hard to cope for a layman, but it's very interesting for a jurist, expecially for a no American one. The plot is intriguing, and the style is very dry. I read it in a day, and I learnt very much about American system. System is really good, sometimes men aren't, like everywhere. The clue is: American juries care more about what a convicted should do in the future, then about which crime one actually performed, if then. That's the reason why a dropout like Ronnie was a perfect candidate for lethal injection. He was crazy, noisy , arrogant, he slept most of the time and use to chase boozes and skirts. What's the use of let he in life? Grisham is great when at the end calculates to the penny what's the cost of such a court mistake for the american taxpayer. A cynical could rebuke: right, but only because it happened to be eventually corrected. The correction was the really burden, and not the mistake. I hope to read more nonfiction from Mr Grisham, that could even write a postfaction like Victor Hugo in the Miserables: Italy loves my books, but Italian judiciary ssystem isn't any better ( Hugo said Italy loved les Miserables, but Italy was really a worse country then France ).It's a book about justice, not simply a book about american judiciary system or small countries judicial oddities. I recommend it to all law students.

A Poignant and Compelling Story!
What would you do if you were suspected by the police of the rape and murder of a young woman? Whom would you turn to if you were convicted of a crime based on circumstantial evidence and shoddy legal tactics? Whoever believes we are all innocent until proven guilty hasn't truly been put to the test.
His best book yet
His first Nonfiction book was very well written.It was a major page turner and I finished it in 2 days.I liked it better than any of his other books and I"m a big Grisham fan.Please note, if you don't want to have anything given away I'd not read the captions under the photos because some of the story will be given away.It is a very one sided story and is easy to read his contempt for the the bad part of the criminal justice system, but it also made me think.Before I read this I was a strong supporter of capital punishment, and now I still believe in it, but I see why there are so many appeals etc. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Capital Punishment    2. Infamous Crimes And Criminals    3. Judicial error    4. Legal System    5. Murder - General    6. Oklahoma    7. Penology    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Trials (Murder)    11. True Crime / Espionage    12. Social Science / Penology   

Editorial Review

"Until one morning in mid-November of 1959, few Americans--in fact, few Kansans--had ever heard of Holcomb. Like the waters of the river, like the motorists on the highway, and like the yellow trains streaking down the Santa Fe tracks, drama, in the shape of exceptional happenings, had never stopped there." If all Truman Capote did was invent a new genre--journalism written with the language and structure of literature--this "nonfiction novel" about the brutal slaying of the Clutter family by two would-be robbers would be remembered as a trail-blazing experiment that has influenced countless writers. But Capote achieved more than that. He wrote a true masterpiece of creative nonfiction. The images of this tale continue to resonate in our minds: 16-year-old Nancy Clutter teaching a friend how to bake a cherry pie, Dick Hickock's black '49 Chevrolet sedan, Perry Smith's Gibson guitar and his dreams of gold in a tropical paradise--the blood on the walls and the final "thud-snap" of the rope-broken necks. ... Read more

Reviews (371)

One of the best I've read.
I had no idea what this book was about when I bought it.It was years ago now, and I was given a list of "Good Books" to read as a present: A deck of cards, each card representing a great work in American Literature that everyone should read.This was one of the books.I liked it a lot. At the time, I had no idea who Capote was (I still don't) and it wasn't until recently when movie after movie keeps coming out about this "Capote" character that I realized he was the author of this book.It's a good book, and a well-told story, but I don't see why Capote has recently been thrown up on a pedestal and worshiped by Hollywood. Regardless, this book is worth your time.

amazing on all levels
Intrigued, I wondered how Capote could manage to write a book about a crime that, while gruesome, at first glance doesn't appear to be the sort to sustain a book. Upon starting it I was hooked, he not only found the story but manages to tell it from many different perspectives while keeping the raw emotion intact, putting you right there throughout. At the same time he comes across as unbiased in his telling. Not only does he create a genre with this book, he defines what it is at it's best. As an aside, to watch the movie Capote after reading this book makes clear the methods he used, unprecedented access to the criminals, etc. in order to create this masterpeice.

Beyond true crime
This is as near perfect as a book can get. Capote gets you inside each person he writes about like no one else. Remarkable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Criminology    3. Homicide    4. Kansas    5. Murder    6. Murder - General    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. True Crime / Espionage    10. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (4)

Political correctness has put us into this situation
Bill Gertz explains clearly the rationale for improving America's counterintelligence. He throws out all political correctness that has put us in this current situation. Gertz is a better man for exposing these problems in our intelligence community. Now they may get fixed properly. Gertz can not believe that the Intelligence community has not changed many of its tactics since 9/11. Gertz points out the lack of intelligence in Iraq before the war began. He describes the problem with bureaucracy and its blocking of new changes. Gertz in each chapter describes a spy case that has happened in the past decades. Some points that jumped out at me in the book.
Enimies:Another wake-up call to America from Bill Gertz
This book gives an inside look at our failing intelligence agencies and the extent to which politics plays a roll in keeping them that way.While our short and long term enemies gain intelligence and sensitive weapons information on us, our politicians and incompetent leadership throughout our government's defense agencies do nothing but the same.I don't know what else to say.I hope everyone can read this and other Gertz books.Highly Recommended *****

what a shame
It is exactly this kind of short term mentality in this book, looking on all other countries as enemies instead of friends, that has been isolating the US from the rest of the world. Talking about military intelligence expense and power, no country beats the US. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    3. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    4. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    5. Political Science    6. Political Terrorism    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Terrorism    10. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    11. United States    12. War on Terrorism, 2001-    13. Current Events / International   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Case studies    3. England    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. Great Britain    6. Great Britain - History    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Investigation    11. London    12. Murder    13. Murder - General    14. Murderers    15. United States - 20th Century    16. History / Modern / 20th Century   

Editorial Review

Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that Read more

Reviews (537)

Enthralling!
I never thought I'd consider a book primarily about architecture enthralling, but this book is amazingly so.
A fascinating story
I received this book as a birthday gift, and although I typically read works of fiction, I found The Devil in the White City to be fascinating.The central happenings of the story (the World's Fair and the serial killings) are presented in wonderfully researched detail.Other gems of information can be found scattered throughout the book, such as references to Walt Disney's father, a carpenter who worked construction at the fair.I found it difficult to put the book down at all, and now that I've finished it I find myself still thinking about the story, the characters, and the mind-set of America in the 1890's.To me, a great book is one that stays with you long after you've read it, and I know this one qualifies.I am looking forward to reading more of Erik Larson's work.

Well researched,well written
What strikes me most about this book is the detailed research that went into the parallel story about the Chicago World's Fair and how it's woven around the story of the murders. Larson's book is a pure enjoyment--a historical journey into the history of Chicago, warts and all. The reader not only learns about Daniel Burnham's amazing feat pulling together the Columbia Exposition of 1893 and the ways it changed the nation, but he contrasts this event with America's first serial killer, ironically steps away from the fair. The reader is tugged from good to evil, from risk to murder, from heaven to hell. Enjoy the ride and thanks Mr. Larson for allowing us to take that ride! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Case studies    3. Chicago    4. Chicago (Ill.)    5. History - U.S.    6. Homicide    7. Illinois    8. Murder - General    9. Murder - Serial Killers    10. Serial murderers    11. Serial murders    12. True Crime    13. United States - 19th Century    14. United States - 19th Century/Turn of the Century    15. United States - State & Local - General    16. United States - State & Local - Midwest    17. History / United States / 20th Century    18. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (340)

Superb Read
This true story really takes you into the hair raising lifestyle of Vegas, and then propels you into the blackjack world and the realities of getting caught at counting cards.Hell of a read, makes me want to learn to count cards.

Novel-like
Bringing Down the House tells the story of Kevin Lewis and his teammates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who formed a team to win millions from Las Vegas by counting cards at blackjack.The story focuses on "Lewis" and chronicles how he is brought into the group and becomes entranced by the excitement and the money.
Bringing Down the House
When I read a half of the book, I can imagine the rest half.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Boston    4. Cardsharping    5. Gamblers    6. Gambling    7. Gambling - General    8. Gambling - Table    9. Games    10. Games/Puzzles    11. Indoor Games    12. Las Vegas    13. Massachusetts    14. Nevada    15. Other Miscellaneous Crimes    16. Personal Memoirs    17. Games / General   

Editorial Review

In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Read more

Reviews (595)

Murder, Religion, MormonsandFundamentalists
This is sort of "The DaVinci Code" of Mormonism.The difference though, is that Krakauer, unlike Dan Brown, does much better reasearch and is not writing fiction.Krakauer also reveals his personal biases in the author's notes at the end.
Great works of fiction
I read the first 1/3 of the book, and had to quit, because it falls into my "great work of fiction" category.My major complaint with the book is with it's history of Mormonism.I have read the various official stories about how the gold plates were found, how the church was organized and other events from the LDS church.I have also read various differing accounts by detractors.
Fascinating Take on LDS Origins, Current Schisms and a Tragic Crime Spree
When I first read Jon Krakauer's INTO THIN AIR, I became fascinated with all things Everest.(All things except actually climbing the growing peak, that is.)So when this became a book club pick, my curiosity was piqued.(Glad I got my 'p' word quota out of the way this early.)
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Subjects:  1. Christianity - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Da    2. Mormon fundamentalism    3. Murder - General    4. Religion - Mormon / LDS    5. True Crime    6. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)    7. True Crime / Murder   

Editorial Review

Heralded as the "best book on the dope decade" by the Read more

Reviews (381)

This is one heck of a fun book!
Thompson's classic novel shows that quest literature (in this case the quest for the American Dream) is not at all dead. This is tale is wonderfully crafted and will entertain until the last page.
Sometimes you just have to give it another chance
I have read this book about a dozen times, and I won't lie, the first few times were hard. I wasn't sure if I even understood this book, let alone liked it. My husband was a big fan, and convinced me to give the book another shot one day- and am I happy he did. I got it. It is funny, sad, crazy and weird. It's a journey that I am happy I took, and will take again. It is one of those book that each and every time you read it you will take away something new and fresh. Great read. Try it, you will like it.

hilarious!
If you are looking for a good laugh and are not offended by drugs, lewd behavior, and hooliganism, then I would highly recommend this book.90% of the story takes place while the two main characters are doped up on various drugs or combinations of them, and the consequences are hilarious.I laughed most of the way through.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Journalism    5. Journalists    6. Literary    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Popular Culture - General    9. Thompson, Hunter S    10. United States    11. United States - 20th Century/60s    12. American English    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Modern fiction    15. True Stories   

Reviews (6)

A great and sordid tale
This is a greeat and depressing book. I documents how America is a country of many laws and little enforcement. Believe it. That the book was trashed as anti-Semetic in The NY Times Sunday Book Review only makes it a more important read (The dolt Times reviewer reviewer had a tribal agenda and comes from self-admitted mob affiliated tax cheat family should be all you need to know about that review)
HOPING FOR AN UPDATE
This book tells how Sidney Korshak and other mob fronts moved from Chicago to Las Vegas and Southern California in the 1940's.Using such notorious hangouts as the Bistro and City National Bank in Beverly Hills, some of which are still as sinister as ever, they gained influence in unions, business, and politics at the local and even national and international level.
Worth the wait?
It's 490 years since Sir Thomas More wrote Utopia, a model for any society desiring to live rightly.The Utopians had little interest in money or the false pleasures of jewelry and high fashion.They disdained gambling and the pursuit of "empty and worthless honors," and anybody arrogant enough to run for public office could never gain it.The legal profession was absolutely banned, as was private property.Everybody worked for the greater good of all.There was no "conspiracy of the rich," in which a few preyed on the many and amassed wealth through crooked schemes.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. California    5. Chicago    6. Illinois    7. Lawyers    8. Lawyers & Judges    9. Organized Crime    10. True Crime / Espionage    11. United States    12. History / United States / 20th Century   

Editorial Review

As CEO at accounting giant KPMG, Eugene O'Kelly was so immersed in his job that over thecourse of a decade, he managed to have lunch with his wife on weekdays just twice. His travelschedule was set 18 months out. Once, he was so obsessed with impressing a potential client that hetracked down the man's travel schedule, booked the seat next to him on a flight, schmoozed the guyall the way to Australia, landed the account, and flew immediately back to Manhattan. His Type-A ways vanished when, at age 53, a top neurosurgeon in New York told him he had late- stage brain cancer. "His eyes told me I would die soon. It was late spring. I had seen my last autumnin New York." [p.7] Read more

Reviews (51)

Meaningful message for all who read...
Having just lost my own mother to Glioblastoma multiforme grade IV, I found this book comforting and relevant. It had a great message to share "take the time to tell those you love about the perfect moments you will remember about them". I have purchased a dozen copies since my first to send out to friends in memory of my own mother.

Must read for accountant!
What an inspirational book! I read this book few days prior to a job interview with KPMG. Well good news is.. I got the job! but the message behind this book is "balance" and purpose of life. Life is too short and many people knew that, but we need a reminder once a while to put us into perspective again. Gene is a visionary behind KPMG and to lost someone like him is definitely a lesson to learn. As an accountant, we know how many hours we have to spend at work, but think it this way to balance it out.. treat your family like your client. They need as much time as your other clients need you too. I would recommend this book for any accounting major college students.

Courageous
This book is phenomenal.Those with a Type A personality will certainly appreciate the approach the author took to put closure on his impending death.Since another reader had mentioned that Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking" was better, I had decided to read both books.I absolutely loved Chasing Daylight better although both books have value.
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Subjects:  1. Brain    2. Cancer    3. Cancer (Psychosocial Aspects)    4. Consumer Health    5. Death    6. Death And Dying (Sociological Aspects)    7. Death, Grief, Bereavement    8. Diseases - Cancer    9. General    10. Health & Fitness    11. Health/Fitness    12. Patients    13. Psychological aspects    14. Psychology    15. Terminally ill    16. Coping with illness    17. Death & dying    18. Self-Help / Death, Grief, Bereavement    19. True Stories   

Editorial Review

John Berendt's Read more

Reviews (440)

Sit back and read this book
This is my favorite book and I believe anyone could read it.You'll be recommending this book to your friends.You won't want to put down the book!

The Games People Play
This was an entertaining study of the games people play in a smallish southern city. Berendt's descriptions of Savannah's atmosphere and the real character's he met there are excellent. Berendt has a great grasp of local Savannah politics. His initial enthusiasm for the place became tempered toward the end of the book as languid Savannah's also a provincial place that tolerates a certain amount of violence and mumbo jumbo, depending on who the perpetrators and targets of both are. The book's end came rather quickly and perhaps a bit incompletely, what happened to Danny Hansford's mom and her lawsuit? Berendt's description of his attending Savannah's African American debutante's ball was hilarious. The main point of this book seemed to be in real life the truth is often hard to find and when it's found it's often awful, but that money often buys the alternate truths that make it into the papers, and that's the truth that people buy.

Don't Ever Believe the Hype
I've read great reviews about this book so I finally bought it because I could not get it at my local library. Never ever finished the book - it was god-awful. Badly written, incoherent story - it jumped around - JUST PLAIN BAD... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American    2. Celebrities    3. Current Affairs    4. Georgia    5. History    6. Murder - General    7. Savannah    8. Savannah (Ga.)    9. Sociology    10. Tours    11. True Crime / Espionage    12. True Crime / Murder   

Reviews (54)

Mr. Carlo...brilliant
A must read for anyone curious about the mafia world, cold hearted killers, and just all around fabulous reading.My hats off to Philip Carlo for writing a materpiece that I just couldn't put down.Page after page he diligently wrote the account of Mr. Kuklinski's life, from enduring sadistic brutality at the hands of his parents, to the very end which brought tears to my eyes.How could you expect Mr. K to be anything else in life other than what he was, after all, his exposure to death and killing was experienced first hand as a child.Thank you Mr. Carlo for being by my side for the last week while I read word for word, the chilling accounts of this killer, always seeing the sensitive side of this man when it came to his family and children.Mr. Kuklinski was a gentle soul, he just wasn't shown enough love and affection in his life.Thanks again.Can't wait to read your other writings.

Couldn't put this down....
Richard Kuklinski, though a killer, was also a very troubled human being. Having two parents that barely raised their children, but used their hands, brooms, etc to punish their children and never nurtured them. To even not take responsibility for killing one of their first born son, Flarian.
Richard Kuklinski: The Full Story
I was born in Brooklyn, NY in November 1983 and moved to Hillsdale, NJ (Bergen County) in January 1985.Throughout my life, I heard stories from my parents and grandmother about the Mafia and about the murders that occurred in my old neighborhood.I have always been fascinated by La Cosa Nostra and the Mafia and have read numerous books, watched countless movies and documentaries, and written numerous papers on the topic.After reading all of these different books, I want to commend Mr. Carlo on your work about Richard Kuklinski.This biography was by far the most interesting piece that I have ever read and in my humble opinion, truly captured the essence of a psychopathic serial killer and underworld of the Mafia.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Case studies    3. Crime And Criminals    4. New Jersey    5. Organized Crime    6. Serial murderers    7. Serial murders    8. True Crime    9. True Crime / Espionage    10. True Crime / Organized Crime   

Editorial Review

Enron was a $100-billion-a-year company in October 2001--America's seventh-largest. The Houston-based energy firm enjoyed warm ties with newly installed President George W. Bush. Earnings were up 26 percent from the previous quarter, while Read more

Reviews (114)

Well-reported but not close to the best on Enron
Eichenwald's style might be more easily "accessible," but Bethany McLean's Smartest Guys in the Room is BY FAR the better report of what actually went on at Enron.Buy that one, not Eichenwald's half-baked pretender.

As close as we'll ever come to knowing what went on inside Enron
Only those who lived life inside Enron will ever know the true story of what happened that caused the catastrophic corporate debacle.Even amongst Enron insiders, only a handful were in a position to know the truth.Kurt Eichenwald has done a great job in this book of pulling together as many of the sources as he can in order to give those of us on the outside a look at the inside.
Foolishness
As a bit player in the west coast energy crisis, I found the cast of characters and their foolishness were too close to home.I suspect that no matter what industry one is in, readers will find something to identify with.And if you are not in business, you should see what can happen within organizations that does and will affect your life.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business failures    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate & Business History - General    5. Corrupt practices    6. Energy    7. Energy industries    8. Enron Corp.    9. General    10. History Of Specific Companies    11. Industries - Energy Industries    12. Other Miscellaneous Crimes    13. True Crime / Espionage    14. United States    15. White Collar Crime    16. Business & Economics / General   

Reviews (2)

Interested in Offshore Racing? Meet your idol, Mr Don Aronow
If you have an interest in offshore racing, take the time and read this compelling book about the father of the the industry. Ever heard of Thunderboat row? Find out the impact he had on some of the largest manufacturers in the country, and their attempts to to keep him out of the boat building business.You will learn about the rise and murder of Don Aronow and how state law enforcement of Florida(at the time led by the infamous Janet Reno) either bungled the investigation, or for whatever reason, let his death go unsolved. You will learn of the allegation that Don Aronow had ties to the mob, South American drug smugglers, and to the DEA. At the end you can surmise what you will of what his life was about, but you can't take away what he meant to the sport of offshore racing. Read it and pay homage.

Excellent . . . A Must for the boater and mob afficionado!!!
This book has to be the best summary of politics, drug running, the offshore powerboat industry, the Mafia, crime, corruption and intrigue that I have ever read!!Aronow was an old friend of my family's in New Jersey and when he got murdered we all waited for the book to come out, sure enough it did and was excellent.If you love the mob, fast boats, fast cars, fast horses and beautiful women, BLUE THUNDER is a MUST READ!!Enjoy . . . . . H.L.,Florida ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aronow, Donald Joel,    2. Case studies    3. Drug traffic    4. Florida    5. Mafia    6. Miami    7. Murder    8. Murder - General    9. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    10. Sociology    11. Aronow, Donald Joel    12. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (217)

And I thought The Lovely Bones was hard to put down...
I rarely find a book I just Cannot Put Down.One of the rare ones was The Lovely Bones--and it wasn't just the plot.It was the language, the crystal-clear voice-in-your-head narrative that spoke and spoke of pain and sadness and resolve.It was infused with a realism and was both beautiful and haunting.Like the lean, hard and seemingly lengthened muscles of a runner, Sebold's voice is discernable above the din of modern fiction yet it is not haughty or self-involved... Hearing her voice is like the moment you know you are going to be really good friends with someone you just met:comforting and clear, it makes you want to lean closer to absorb it.It made me a devoted fan of Sebold as I am sure you are, too.
A difficult, but engaging read
I suspect I'm like most people who have read this book.I read an interview with Sebold and she said as she was writing "Lovely Bones" she was struggling with the rape scene.Because she had been raped herself, she wasn't able to write about it effectively in "Lovely Bones" until she had dealt with her own stuff.She put down "Lovely Bones", wrote "Lucky", and then picked up and finished "Lovely Bones."Very interesting.
An Incredible and Worthwhile Read, But ...
I was disappointed by the ending. It seemed quite hastily concluded. I wanted more details on her recovery process--how she was able to save herself. That would definitely help readers who have been through similar experiences. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Case studies    5. General    6. Personal Memoirs    7. Rape victims    8. Trials (Rape)    9. United States    10. Women