I first heard of this book when it was reviewed by The Boston Globe, and hearing the subject matter, I simply had to obtain a copy. 3 years later, and I have now read the book several times, as well as passed it along to friends, les/bi/gay/trans & straight friends. The fact that Daphne was not able to express herself as she wanted still blows my mind. Her "actions" were harmful to NO ONE and yet she was forced to try and adopt a state of "self" that wasn't her own. I urge all to read this, even if YOU don't have a gender issue, you probably know someone who does. This tale will only help you clearly see how IMPORTANT it is for us, as human beings, to just BE OURSELVES!

Neither my partner or I could put this book down, positively frightening and compelling. Daphne Scholinski descended into a personal hell, simply because she was different. READ IT and find out how and why a lot of transgendered persons hide their transgendered issues.

I was appaled and intrigued at the same time by this book. I didn't put it down until I finished it. I am amazed at the strength of Daphne and all that she has been through. I have read this many times and I definetely recommend it to everyone! READ IT. You won't be sorry.

The Salon.com Reader's Guide to Contemporary Authors is one of the best books on contemporary literature I've ever read. With the notable exclusions of writers John Nichols, David James Duncan and Arundahati Roy, the book is a comprehensive (though it claims not to be) and witty guide to all books not yet considered "classic" yet well on their way.

I am a college writing and literature instructor, so I first browsed the volume as an interested teacher (always looking for ways to get students to like reading), but ended up unable to put it down because I so loved its insight and humor about all the writers I've loved or hated over the years. I was delighted at the validation I received for not really liking trendy writers such as A.S. Byatt, Edwidge Danticat or Brett Easton Ellis, and thrilled that authors Jim Harrison and Salman Rushdie were finally given the fair criticism they deserve, not based on scandal or hype or Brad Pitt. In fact, I found Salon's criticisms generally accurate with regard to books I've read already. Never nasty, the critics sum up the influence the writer has had and honestly discuss whether or not the influence is justified.

I also learned much about the writing of authors I have always meant to check out and I learned about writers I've never heard of but now want to read desperately. I wish this book had been published years ago.

I am definitely going to recommend it to all of my reading friends and my students and I eagerly await the second edition (for surely there must be a second edition now that Jonathan Franzen has written The Corrections?)

Thanks, Salon.com, for filling a void so humorously and honestly.

I eagerly took this book home, and quickly flipped through the pages to see how many books I've read by the 225 authors listed in this guide. I've got a lot of work ahead of me. What I appreciated the most about the book is that along with literary giants such as Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Toni Morrison, and Robertson Davies, the contributors to this guide also mention commercial success stories such as Stephen King, Tom Clancy, John Grisham, and Michael Crichton. For each entry there is a bibliography given, a summary of the authors works, and a 'see also' paragraph that leads you to other great authors with similar writting styles as your favourites. In between entries there are essays and suggestions given by the said authors themselves which are enlightening and entertaining. I don't know much about salon.com, but I've learnt that they're capable of producing a top notch reference that I'll will use frequently.

"The Salon.com Reader's Guide to Contemporary Authors" is edited by Laura Miller, with Adam Begley. It consists primarily of alphabetically-arranged entries on selected writers. Each entry contains a list of books by the author, as well as a critical essay. This collection of writers is international and multicultural, although the selection is (as noted in the preface) limited to authors who write (or wrote) fiction in English and who have had major works published since 1960.

This is a book that I use both to "discover" authors I'm not familiar with, as well as to get new perspectives on authors I already know (either passingly or thoroughly). Each entry is about 1 to 2 pages long. A very short sampler of some of the authors covered: Chinua Achebe, Sherman Alexie, Saul Bellow, Charles Bukowski, Ian Fleming, Allegra Goodman, Ursula K. LeGuin, Amy Tan, Gore Vidal, etc.

The critical articles contain some questionable statements, but that's half the fun of this book: it's a reference work with which an intelligent reader can disagree.

In addition to the main entries, there is a series of sidebar book lists compiled by various individuals. Examples: "Five Contemporary Noir Classics," listed by David Bowman; "A Walk on the Wild Side: Very Original Novels," by Peter Carey; "Smart and Sexy," by Erica Jong; etc. The books are listed with short descriptive paragraphs.

There is also a series of interspersed literary essays: "Every Novel Is a Lesbian Novel," by Dorothy Allison; "Of This World: Why Science Fiction Can't Be Dismissed," by John Clute; etc. If you love contemporary literature, you may find "The Salon.com Reader's Guide" to be a wonderful resource.

I am an ardent Dilbert fan, however I found this book full of cartoons that I had already seen and the writing was not as witty and incisive as the earlier books. I just didn't find myself thinking 'this is really true or this is really funny' as before.

Since Scott Adams has been at home relying on Email from others for inspiration, his originality and insights into office life are very much less than before. He needs to explore new angles (like International differences) to keep his material fresh.

Scott Adams fourth Dilbert hardback book is not his best (the Dilbert Principle wins that one hands down). There are some very funny stories in the book, I was really howling at times. But there are times his humor misses the mark, such as his answer to Norman Solomon's anti-Dilbert book, which I thought came off as mean-spirited. Unfortunately, there are more misses than hits in this book.

Scott Adams has brought joy in the workplace over the past five years with his dead-on humor about the corporate business world. It has also brought him many financial opportunities, of which he has taken advantage. I say more power to him, I'd do the same. But I'm starting to wonder whether he should stop writing these full-length books and instead create some more comic books with strips that are outside of those that are published in papers. He's done this before and I think that is where he can entertain more people in the future.

This book is probably the funniest thing you will read in a long, long time. It is absolutely, incredibly, painfully funny, and it has some real tips thrown in for good measure. Any one who calls themselves a Dilbert Fan and/or has any sense of humor should get this book. As a DNRC member and a fan who has all Scott Adams' books, I can truly recommend this as one of his best to date.

Marvel created the "Ultimate" line of books to try to entice new readers by scrapping decades of complex continuity in favor of a fresh start. Supposedly, no prior knowledge of the books or their characters are necessary for you to get a good read that won't leave you scratching your head in bewilderment. So....does it work?

I guess....I've been reading comics since I was 3, so I really can't say how a "newbie" would fare.

I CAN tell you that I loved this book!! I wish that the makers of the atrocious X-Men flick had filmed this for the mutant's initial big-screen outing.

Mark Millar and the Kubert Bros. story does a great job of getting you up to speed fast: People born with strange, potentially deadly, powers exist among us, and pose a very real threat to life as we know it. Two men, Professor Charles Xavier (Leader of The X-Men), and Magneto (Leader of The Brotherhood of Mutants), fight an idealogical battle to win the hearts and loyalty of their fellow Mutants. Xavier wants to help Mutantkind make peace with Humanity, while Magneto sees Humanity as an annoyance that must be disposed of, so Mutants can ascend to their rightful place. This take-no-prisoners approach doesn't sit well with president Dubya; he unleashes the giant robotic Sentinels on a search-and-destroy mission to annihilate all Mutants. The story follows the recruiting of The X-Men (Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, The Beast, Iceman, Colossus, & Wolverine), and their first confrontation with Magneto. (And what a confrontation it is!)

Magneto has never been better written; he comes across as both charismatic and chilling...a super-powered cross between Charles Manson and Hannibal Lecter. He also does something VERY original with The Sentinals...very clever, Mr. Millar! Xavier is more cold-blooded than he is in the "real" Marvel continuity; I don't totally trust him.(Did he tamper with Scott's mind to make him defect....? Hmmmmm.)

If I loved it so much, why just a Four? I didn't care for the portrayal of Colossus: When we meet him, he's a soldier for the Russian Mafia, selling a stolen Nuclear weapon to an underling of Magneto. This troubling "Character flaw" is never mentioned again. That just bothered me a lot...I guess I hold my heroes up to high standards. I was also kinda weirded out by the way Jean just lept into bed with Wolverine, and the strong language peppered throughout the book. I'm no prude, but X-Men is an all-ages type of book, and the language just seemed unnecessary.

Overall, a great read- I'm gonna stick around for more.

Okay, I am definitely not a young adult anymore, but I do appreciate quality regardless of the age level it's aimed at, and I find graphic novels such as this one to be intelligent fiction with interesting themes.

Much of today's world is considering the possibility of mutants. There are such changes in our environment and also in the elements affecting new-borns through their parents that mutations don't seem impossible anymore.

Oh, certainly, the X--MEN are wildly exaggerated and beyond credibility as good comic book heroes should be, but there is nevertheless an underlying general theme.

As an older guy interested in the two X-MEN movies, this graphic novel helps give me an introduction. And for the younger adults not yet acquainted, this is an equally great introduction.

There are some people who will have problem with the way the X-men are portrayed, but it is interesting. I wish the movies were more like this book. This book presents the opportunity to take the team in an entirly unexspected direction.

This powerful collection of short stories deserves the accolades it has been receiving. Most of the stories deal with characters in extremis, often suffering from officially diagnosed mental illnesses. Haslett uses point of view brilliantly as he involves readers in experiencing the heartbreak, pain, and insights of all who must deal with mental illness: those with a disease and those who care about-and for-them.

The stories are meticulously written, often using language that lingers in the reader's mind and frequently climaxing with endings that reverberate after the reader has closed the book. Although two of the stories are rather weak, one marred by a glib and formulaic ending ("Reunion") and the other undermined by a supernatural theme that remains utterly unconvincing ("Divination"), the majority of the 9 stories are wonderful and terrible at the same time. Standouts include "Notes to My Biographer" (narrated by a 73-year-old man with bipolar disorder), "The Good Doctor" (the only story narrated by a physician treating a mentally ill patient), "The Beginnings of Grief" (a powerfully disturbing story of a tormented teen's efforts to cope with tragic losses), and "My Father's Business" (a tour-de-force about a young man's struggles with an inherited mental illness).

Many of the stories are challenging to read, thanks to the complexity of the writing and the emotional turmoil stirred by the characters' experience, but they are worth the effort. The collection's title is quite apt because we recognize as we read how much we have in common with those individuals who must cope with mental disorders. At the same time, the book disorients us because we can only sympathize with the characters; empathy is beyond most of us as we enter an alien country inhabited by Haslett's characters. A serious book that's well worth reading. In fact, most of the stories repay a second reading.

Adam Haslett's collection of short stories held my attention from the first word until the end; when is his next book coming out? I was well into the book before it dawned on me that each story contains a character with different forms of mental illness. Mr. Haslett really seems to understand different forms of these illnesses. Several stories are told from the point of view of the mentally ill person, and this reader found them likeable, in their own way.At the same time, he also conveys the (sometime) frustration of family and friends who do their best to coexist with them. I finished reading this book with greater appreciation and understanding of humanity in all it's "capacities". (Who doesn't have a few crazies in their family?) One might expect a book of short stories of "eccentrics" to be a bit depressing, but that is not the case. Adam Haslett writes with clarity, humor, sadness, and love. Best wishes to his writing career!

I always enjoy being able to discover a new author whose talent reminds me of why I got a job at a bookstore in the first place. Adam Haslett's debut collection has done that once again.

Incredibly emotional and heartbreaking, the stories in this collection are still resonating within me. Everything about the settings and characters is just right. They do what they should do, but you don't expect it.

The first story in the book, "Notes to my Biographer", stunned me. I read it again as soon as I finished the story. Then I went on.

If you like this, try Dan Chaon's "Among the Missing" or Michael Chabon's "Werewolves in Their Youth."

Highly Recommended!

Dear Stefi, Now that there is a slight lull in the happy Chestertown merry-go-round, I want to write a paragraph or two explaining why is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. This is why it is so interesting: It was written about 1906 and covers U.S. intellectual and political history from about 1860 to 1906. What is clever about it is the cynical, humorous sophistication (very unAmerican) with which he, an insider, regards all of these events. The book, like Montaigne or Rousseau's is an autobiography and, like Montaigne, Adams is of the view that life should above all be amusing, so that any great enterprise should be undertaken only if it is indeed amusing. The driving idea of the book, however, is where to find the truth (you guessed it--he is still searching on the last page). The places where he searches are very intriguing. He begins at Harvard, where, says he, he learned nothing from books and only one thing from the classes: how to get up and talk in front of large crowds of people about nothing. He was required to do this routinely, and his speeches were, like everyone else's, greeted with hissing and criticisms, so he learned not to expect approbation from an audience. Adams got heavily into the debate about evolution (Darwin being the hot topic at the end of the nineteenth century), because he thought it was the main amusement of his era. His position on evolution is "reversion" rather than progress. One of his proofs is a comparison of George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant. He admired Washington (a great general who became a great president); he voted for Grant (a great general). He knew personally the members of Grant's cabinet, thieves or incompetents at best. QED: things are getting worse not better. In his old age (sixty), after many other amusements of a busy lifetime, he decided to do what I did at the age of twenty-two: to visit all the important medieval French cathedrals. (In 1958, I bought a car in Saarbrucken--VW bug--and drove to seventeen of the greatest cathedrals, Guide Michelin in hand, staying at the youth hostels.) His book is peppered with well-digested quotations from French literature; he apparently knew it from top to bottom. His goal was to understand the Middle Ages (unity in the Virgin) and to write two books, one about the unity of the Middle Ages (title: ) and another about the diversity of the twentieth century, . Adam's book has a number of difficult spots (confusing original philosophy and historical references that mean something only to the well-informed historian), but the good parts are worth going on to find. I hope this vignette will persuade you to get through the boring chapters at the beginning of the book on his childhood in Quincy. The narrative becomes interesting only with his stories about the Court of Saint James where he spent his early twenties as a diplomat during the U.S. Civil War. From that point on, I think you will love it as much as I did. Cheers! Claire

Henry Adams starts off his autobiography with a description of how tough he's had it living up to the standard of his president great-grandfather, president grandfather, and ambassador to the UK father. Lest the reader who was not born so high-brow as this laugh at the self-absorption that would permit such an upbringing to be conceived of as deprived, Adams then admits that being born with a silver spoon in one's mouth to coincide with such a lineage makes his a minor difficulty compared to the world's real problems. It is this self-awareness and honesty that makes this as excellent a book as it is. Sure, Adams had to live up to a high standard but he also was in a situation where it was possible to do it, and where even failure would be in comfort. Adams' descriptions of his life's longing for education are remarkably honest throughout, and his ability to step outside of the 'holy writ' of entrenched teachings shows that his was a mind that constantly sought answers actually worth their merit. He waxes philosophical (as opposed to autobiographical) at the end, but it is here ("The Virgin and the Dynamo," for example) that he may be at his most profound. Even if you don't agree with his thoughts, he does stimulate consideration of ideas that you may not have previously broached. Lastly, Henry Adams is/was a profoundly arrogant man, although not entirely condescending. I find this refreshing; that he knew his abilities and was comfortable enough in them to not feel the need to fake humility.

The title of "The Education of Henry Adams" sounds like an autobiography, but the book is really about the development of a man's conscience and theory of human history, using the world events of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a backdrop and a laboratory. Henry Adams -- whose great grandfather was John Adams, the second American President, and whose grandfather obviously was John Quincy Adams, the sixth -- is more than just a presidential legacy; he reveals himself to be a great thinker and writer, the brilliance of his "Education" ensuring him a permanent place in the American canon.

The book has a few attributes that distinguish it from a typical autobiography. The most noticeable is that Adams writes in the third, not first, person. He repeats the word "education" like a mantra throughout the book, referring to it in its literal, not formal, sense: the "bringing up", or development, of a person's mind, manner, and outlook. The narrative is very personal and is not, as some may expect, a rigid historical perspective, although it does offer plenty of commentary on contemporary historical and political events, from the Civil War to two presidential assassinations (Lincoln's and McKinley's, but not Garfield's) to the Industrial Revolution's impact on the American commercial landscape.

Adams writes like a novelist, and this book reads like a novel. His lyrical prose is all the more amazing because it seems like a product of the very education he finds so evasive. Growing up in Quincy, Massachussetts, he hated school; he even confesses that he got little to nothing out of his years at Harvard. Always hopeful to be educated by new experiences, he serves as a secretary to his father, an ambassador, in London during the American Civil War, where he learns about diplomacy from high-ranking British politicians. He proceeds to dabble in various arts and sciences, start a career in journalism, and become an instructor at Harvard, noting the irony of teaching while still searching for his own education.

Throughout the book we get a very vivid picture of Adams as an idiosyncratic mixture of humanism, modesty, shyness, erudition, and a polite sort of cynicism. He has a rather socratic tendency to dismiss all the previous knowledge he has collected as worthless for his continuing education, resolving to start from scratch with a new source. A curious omission in the book is the twenty-year period in which his marriage ends with his wife's suicide; perhaps this event was just too painful to write about, because it's difficult to believe that this experience could not have influenced the pursuit of his education.

If Adams's education can be said to have a culmination, it is in his development of a "dynamic theory of history," in which he compares physical forces (gravity, magnetism) acting on a body to historical forces, produced by the conflict of the sciences ("The Dynamo") against the arts ("The Virgin"), acting on man. With this initiative Adams embodies the nineteenth century American intellectual and political conscience: He proves in this book that he was a greatly informed man, but also that he was wise because he understood the difference between information and wisdom.

Ready, Okay! is fascinating in a number of ways. It's written in a "stream of conciousness" style that manages to give you the information you need, when you need it, whether or not you know you need to know about it. The book also foreshadows lightly but effectively in places, finding ways to sustain the drama you have yet to witness, while still allowing the present events of the story to work as well. In addition, the characters are generally well fleshed-out, interesting, and speak in unique voices. However, the book feels at times a tad bit long-winded, and sometimes seems to be straining to make its point. Though this is explained in the end to some degree, the end result is one that is less than completely satisfying. Regardless, this is a funny, insightful, and often moving novel that everyone should read if they wish to take another look at high school life in America, or if they are interested in understanding themselves better. Ready, Okay! while not perfect, accomplishes far more in the final analysis than you notice at first.

I pretty much couldn't put this book down after the second chapter, as the foreshadowing of an ensuing disaster sprinkled in between some beautifully drawn out, pop-culture-inspired character sketches, took a firm grasp on every spare moment I had in the day.

The picture, for a good part of the book, is very bleak with a landscape so raw and uncaring that by the second day of reading I found myself getting depressed. But, the ending was powerful enough (it didn't restore my faith in humankind mind you, but it did restore my faith in the humanity of the protagonist and one or two other characters) and the prose and witty retorts were so much fun to read, that it made the disturbing reality of the protagonist's world a minor footnote in the lasting impressions I'll have from this book.

Maybe the only criticism I really have is that most of the characters were a little too polished when it came to their dialogue. Is it believable that a group of 4 related child prodigies can speak and think at a PhD level? Sure, I guess. But when 50% of the supporting cast start quoting poets long since dead or start making insights into the human psyche that rival Freud's, you have to wonder if maybe the author's voice isn't coming through where it shouldn't.

Still, that's a really small gripe. As I'd alluded to earlier, the prose is ASTOUNDING. Where does Mr. Cadre get all his witty references and material from? Every page in this book brings a new joke or comeback that lulls the reader into a comfortable routine so that when the disturbing bits eventually do occur, the effect is particularly jarring.

Apparently, it took Mr. Cadre 40% of his life to write this book. Here's hoping it won't take quite so long for him to finish his next one.

Ever want to know what teenagers are usually thinking these days? This book might be the best gauge for that answer. I initially read the first line in his book as a bit of teenage sarcasm, but was astounded at the book's ending.

The interweaving of characters is concise yet complete - one can almost identify with which character they were in high school, or can identify which character reminded them of which person in school. The dialogue might seem a little out-of-reach to most people (as far as how teenagers actually speak), but in this day and age, it doesn't surprise me that some teenagers actually possess the intelligence and mental capacities to think in the manner that they do in the book. That was reflected well in the book.

As adults weaning ourselves on CNN and our local news, the book may seem like it's only confirming what mass-media-hungry America thinks of teenagers. It's not, actually - it gives more of an in-depth look at them. This book gives humanity back to the teenagers that didn't deserve the reputation that they've gotten in the first place.

This book has all the potential of being a very useful offering as both a reference and teaching aid. Turns out it fails on both counts, because of the patchy nature of the chapters. This book cannot by any means be called uniform in quality. There are some excellent chapters and some simply average ones and some complete dogs!

By far and away best are the 2 chapters on Data Manipulation and Presentation, although these are let down by poor editing - in the form of a few missing source code listings. Another good chapter is the one on code-behind ("Separating Code from Content"). Also very good is the one on XML ("Using XML"). Although a single chapter on XML is not going to be sufficient for anyone, you will be happy to know that the writer of this chapter (Dan Wahlin) has published a worthwhile book of his own. There are also some rather useful chapters on areas that are usually left out of books of this type, and they deal with Error Handling ("ASP.NET Error Handling") and state management ("Managing State").
The chapters that are really awful and could do worse than being re-written are: "Web Services" and "Application-Level Programming" simply because they simply do not have enough in the way of quality code. One thing that I find quite curious is the chaper on "Enabling Better Browser Support" - which doesn't really have a place in .NET, which aims to reproduce uniform browser behaviour.

All code samples are in VB.NET with some consideration for the C# public, but certainly the source-code is not eqally bi-lingual- which I hope gets addressed in the future.

Overall a good book, although be prepared for some ups and downs in quality.

I have read quite a few of the books out there right now on ASP.NET. There are those that are good reference books like the Wrox Press Professional ASP.NET one, but there are not a lot of books (programming in general) that actually read well and leave you feeling like you could actually implement the ideas after one pass of the material. This is one of those rare books that does that really well. Even if you own some other ASP.NET books, you might want to look at this one. The presentation is fast enough to not be boring, and it has a nice overall flow to it. If you like books that get right into the code, this would make for a good choice. The book does not get extremely deep into all areas, but it would be a bit much to expect one book to do that anyway. If you have programmed in ASP before, I think you will really appreciate the book's perspective.

The book really stands for the title. I found in the book what I was looking for, something to get me started in ASP.NET without it beeing a begginers guide for novice programers. It takes you through every aspect of ASP.NET wich makes some chapters more interesting than others (ADO.NET, XML, Mobile Devices, etc..) almost all the chapters leave you greedy for more (specially passport authentication, webservices, managing state with SQL-Server) but the book is already 837 pages. This is the first time I see ASP.NET covered in every important aspect (web controls, caching and I never saw passport for example).
A mistake was made, by giving the framework sdk in the cd instead of the sample code, wich you can find in a million zip files in the web.
They also failed in telling the sample code is intended to follow your progress in the book. That means you won't see quality code untill chapter 16 (separating code form presentation). I think they made a good desicion, so if your looking for a source of sample code this is the wrong place (Go to the web).
I don't think this will become a reference book for me. As soon as you become proficient in the platform the book becomes shallow but this is the first time i'm happy with a book since i bought "Hitchhiker's guide to visual basic and SQL". This book succeds in having all the Tips, Tutorials and Code you need to get serious into ASP.NET today!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

This is the first of the series and it is a decent read, but at times looks like a first novel. It drags a bit but like I have said before Kellerman is not capable of writing a bad book. His average one's are better than 50 percent of what is being published today!

Kellerman does a superb job of detailing a 7-year old who is the possible only witness to a crime and her down-and-out mother, who should take parenting classes. I won't give away much, but this shows enough to get u hooked on Kellerman, Delaware (the main character), and Milo (his friend). A worthy debut!

Kellerman exhibits charcterization, smooth storytelling, and fantastic plotting. The only draw-back is lengthy conversations and parts that are a little slow. Nothing to convince u NOT to PURCHASE the BOOK!

Good job, Jon!

This was the first book I read by Kellerman, and I still feel it's his best. The author spins a well-woven drama, with important characters and a steady build. It was at times difficult, but really more sad, only because of what happens to a child. The tale is gripping. It got me hooked on Alex Delaware novels. I've read most of them since reading "When The Bough Breaks". If you haven't read any of Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels, and read but one, make it this one. Then you'll find you've made a liar out of yourself. It'll hook you.

This is my first book by Kellerman. And i was very impressed. It's a very good debut novel. The plotting is tight and the writing is sharp. The book is, basically, incredibly fun to read. (As another reviewer has said, you get the sense that all Kellerman was doing was writing for his own amusement and fun, and it really comes across in the writing. Very fun, enjoyable story, despite its focus on child-abuse.)

Alex Delaware is a great character. He is well drawn and realistic. instantly likeable, immediately an everyman who most readers will be able to identify with. He is supported by some other great characters. Milo, his police-detective friend. And Robin, his partner. (A likeable character at first, but if she carries on as she is, she may get a tad annoying in a few books time)

The plotting is clever, and the climax great. I see a strength in the series, available in his ability to portray likeable children very well. Unfortunately, in this book little Melody Quinn (the child in this book) seems to drop out of the story about a quarter of the way through, only to re-appear in a privotal role at the end.

The child-abuse is depicted well, the plotting is strong and realistic. The effects of the child abuse are also described well. Peadophillia is dealt with tactfully, and this book does not sensationalise it. In the end, the villains all get their commupeance, and Milo Strugis really shows his true colours.

This is a very good debut novel. A fast paced pageturner, with an addictive writing style, i fairly raced through this book. I am hugely looking forward to getting my teeth into other books by Kellerman.

Much credit is given 'Papa' for his writings on Africa. I can only attribute this to the fact that he is a famous author and more people have read his Africa books/two short stories more than any others. Much like Roosevelts game trails this book is a chronicle of Hemingways two month safari. And like Teddys book comes across as just that. After all they only both went on one safari. If you are really interested in reading about African big game hunting there are two books that communicate the vibrancy and feel of hunting dangerous game in Africa better than Hemingway or Roosevelt. Death in the long grass by Peter Hathaway Capstick and Pondoro by John Taylor are my two favorites. Both are men who spent their lives living and hunting in Africa. Capstick as a Proffesional hunter and game warden in the latter half of this century until 1975, and Taylor as an Ivory poacher from the 1920-30's(?) to the late 40's. If you are anti-hunting forget it but if you are in-between and looking for something more on Africa then Please take a look. I am not saying that Hemingway is bad, it's just that in my opinion Taylor and Capstick bring African hunting alive in a way Hemingway can't touch in the best parts of Green Hills. Hemingway may be the master when it comes to other types of literature, but when it comes to describing hunting dangerous game in Africa Taylor and Capstick reign supreme.

"Green Hills of Africa" was Hemingway's first non-fiction book, written after a 1933 trip to Eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania). It went a long way in establishing Hemingway's reputation as a hunter and adventurer. Though non-fiction it has the organization of a Hemingway novel and reads much like his other works. His descriptions of the landscape, local people, other hunters, and especially animals, hunting, and killing are superb. Hemingway also shares, mostly as dialogue, his thoughts on life, war, fate, and notably literature and the literary life. His often-quoted idea of all American literature being descended from one book by Mark Twain is presented here, as are his thoughts on how America destroys its writers. Some knowledge of Eastern Africa (such as a basic history, a guidebook, an encyclopedia article) might be useful as Hemingway often does provide much introductory material. With "Green Hills of Africa" Hemingway follows in the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt's "African Game Trails"; both did much to popularize among Americans the idea of recreational travel in Africa. Hemingway went on to write two fictional stories set in Africa: "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber". A good book, moreso for fans of Papa and those with an interest in Africa.

Hem is hunting both big game and big literature in "Green Hills." On this 1933-34 African safari, his jovial, Socratic drinking pal "Pop" is actually Phillip Percival the famous white hunter who conducted Theodore Roosevelt on his first African safari. As a young man, Hemingway owned a copy of TR's book "African Game Trails," and it is undoubtedly one of the reasons he went on this safari, which was financed to the tune of $25,000 Depression dollars by his wife Pauline's uncle Gus, part owner of Richard Hudnut cosmetics. Further evidence of Hem's fascination with Africa can be seen in the way Jake Barnes teases Robert Cohn in "The Sun Also Rises." In chapter two, Jake says, " Did you ever think about going to British East Africa to shoot?" Cohn's lack of enthusiasm for an immediate trek to Mombassa seals his fate as a jerk. "Green Hills" vindicates Hem's real aficion for hunting--filled with long descriptions of the arduous and sometimes futile tracking of game, not just celebratory "kills." Finally, the best preparation for reading "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is to hike and sweat through these 300 pages of African "country." The long, crescent-horned sable which Hem was painstakingly stalking at the end of "Green Hills" never turned up. But instead, the experience of his African safari, was distilled into those two incredible stories--one about a coward who gets a chance to redeem himself and the other about a washed-up writer whose approaching death stimulates him to dream about--and the reader to enjoy--the fiction he never got to actually write. Unless you've got a rich uncle or wife, this is as close as you'll get to an East African safari, and it is very, very fine.