This was a moderately amusing first novel by G.M. Ford. It was entertaining and fast paced, but it felt a little too much like a "made for TV" movie. There are some funny scenes, but I thought a lot of it was just silly.

You will get a pretty good sense of Seattle and suburbs, and Waterman is an interesting PI. But there isn't enough here to have me rush out and get the next in the series. There is too much better stuff out there. I recommend this only if you are an avid reader of the "hard-boiled PI" genre.

This novel introduces the occasionally amusing Seattle detective Leo Waterman and his posse of down-and-out assistants. The book is a fairly quick read and the mystery is mildly engaging, but the characters are not all that believable and the dialogue is neither interesting nor (for the most part) amusing. Those expecting an amusing mystery novel (see Hiassen instead) will likely be disappointed. This book rarely elicited a chuckle and is often outright boring. Not on par with John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee novels in either story or style, but similar in the overall feel as far as mystery novels go. This book can be recommended if you're looking for a quick, easy read. Otherwise, track down MacDonald, Hiassen, or van de Wetering.

I realize this is more of a "me-too" review than any particularly earthshattering revelation about the plot or the author, but as I sit here laughing just thinking about the story, all I can say is "me too"! From Ford's name to his characters (and you'll HAVE to smile when you discover Wanda!), his books are just FUN -- yes, drama, intrigue, suspense, but there's this undercurrent of a man who most of us probably would love to be at least at some point in our lives. In any case, while it's not a great masterstroke of literature, if you're looking for some entertainment for your reading time and money, pick up Wanda. You won't be sorry! :D

This book is brilliantly witty-the first page I laughed twice-and the first chapter sticks in one's mind for its beautiful imagery (Leo describing her relationship with Bri) and Leo's sharp and amusing asides. The ending is surprising in its abruptness-it leaves the reader feeling slightly cheated, but this is a memorable story, well worth the read, and I'll be surprised if you don't go back with Leo to Apeiron often.

Leo@fergusrules.com is a wonderfully rich and absorbing fable,sharply defined with an edge of modern technology. It's rare that a book can satisfy both my imagination and my intelligence to such a great degree. Arne Tangherlini's heroine, Leo, appealed to me in every way. She's fiery, defiant, brilliant and hilarious all at the same time, and her heart is as huge and beautiful as the tapestry of scenes through which you follow her on her journey. Don't miss this book.

Italian cusine is known and appreciated around the world. Much has been said to account for its success: tradition, ingredients, a people's flair for the good life. But Italian cuisine is above all simple. The best pizza is made of only seven ingredients: what makes a margherita delicious is the delicate balance of its primal flavours, the feel of the cook while kneading the dough, and a sense of timing with the oven. Leo@fergusrules.com is not a pizza margherita; the dish it comes closest to is minestrone. Minestrone is a soup made with at least ten kinds of vegetable. What counts is that you use vegetables that are in season and go well together. So, minestrone is the most anarchic of plates: you can invent your own recipe on a whim. Yet, anarchy does not lead to chaos if you know how to keep it simple. Why is this book a literary minestrone? Because of the right ingredients, simplicity, that undefinable feel and controlled anarchy. Ingredients first: when you read Leo@fergusrules.com, your palate will detect Dante's Inferno, J.L. Borges's fictions, Umberto Eco's first novel, historical reports on the American occupation of the Philippines, a pinch of Greek mithology, Philippine folktales and a generous dollop of Alice in Wonderland. Mr. Tangherlini also added less high-brow condiments: cyberspace, TV series, videogames, the atrocious discourse of education 'experts,' and the sub-culture of shopping malls. This is a large enough number of ingredients and, given the peculiar way time moves in the realm of the letters, they are all in season. You have to be a pretty daring cook to try and blend Dante with starship Enterprise, but the author has courage enough to feed a batallion. This is how he did it: he took the Divine Comedy and simmered it in post-modern oil. Thus, the medieval poem became the main ingredient, the root taste to which all the others would be grafted upon. The other ingredients were added on the soffritto, one by one, in good order, paying attention to the cooking time of each. A fourteen-year-old heroine called Leo embarks on a journey through cyberspace with Fra Umberto as her guide. She soon finds herself in cyber-hell, one that is not dug through the Earth crust, but is a portion of virtual reality. During her trip, Leo encounters--among others--classmates, teachers, relatives and ancestors from her manifold genealogy, murderous Barbie dolls and a crowd of her own selves, each coming from different moments in the past. How did Mr. Tangherlini keep the book simple? He made it a 'close work;' a choice that would have made Mr. Alighieri happy. And this is a scandal, because today's novels are supposed to be 'open works.' Leo@fergusrules.com breaks away from this modern tradition in search of an exciting, inventive recipe. Leo can go through her amazing adventures with all the ease afforded by narrative solutions that are seven centuries old. Citations from the Inferno are so many that you end up expecting them as you proceed through the text. And when they actually turn up, they have the same soothing effect of a recurring line in a lullaby. But the surest sign that Leo@fergusrules.com is a close work comes from its poetics. Metaphors are few and far between in Mr. Tangherlini's novel, which is based on allegory instead. Allegory admits only one correct interpretation: Fra Umberto, for instance, can only be Umberto Eco because--among other things--he introduces himself as a native of Alessandria, which is Mr. Eco's hometown. Close figures are simple and fun because they provide intellectual challenge and a sure reward if you rise to meet it. A few random examples of them from the novel: why is the last monster Leo meets in her journey a dog with three heads? Why does "Like a flock of sparrows blown by the wind..." sound familiar? What battle is the "massacre on the bridge" that Leo's grandmother's grandmother--a Filipina--survived? Why is cyber-hell called Dlön and "one of the best commercial environments" Uqbar? The choice of analogy over metaphor and the reliance on a narrative structure that has charmed the world since the Middle Ages give Leo@fergusrules.com the architecture required to support a multitude of characters, a rapid-fire sequence of vicissitudes, and a breathless narrative pace. This is why this novel is an excellent minestrone: the ingredients are in season and harmonious; the recipe original and simple; the preparation expert and well timed. Serve warm--not hot--and sprinkle with a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese.

Two Steps Ahead of the Thought Police is a compilation of 5 years of John Leo's US News & World Report columns.

While it would be fair to describe Mr. Leo as a curmudgeonly columnist it must be pointed out he is one with a sense of perspective almost as developed as his sense of humor. Basically conservative in outlook, he nonetheless is quite capable of skewering conservative viewpoints and policy right along with liberal viewpoints and policy. And so Mr. Leo can criticize the left's propensity to foster "the victimization of America" propensity while also criticize the rights propensity to want to censor everything under the sun.

While this is in a way a wide ranging collection in terms of presentation and writing style, it is fairly narrowly focus in terms of subject matter, allowing for a fairly thorough look at the topics at hand from a variety of aspects. This also gives the work more coherence and a better, more novelistic pacing than is usual for works of this sort.

I don't always agree with Leo, but he seldom fails to raise good, thoughtful points in his commentary and he never fails to entertain. Who says you can't have it all?

This book represents a really refreshing breath of very fresh air in a genre that seems to have devolved into a morass of invective, hostility and bile as substitutes for commentary and debate.

A great read!

John Leo is the best commentator on the culture wars and the best critic of political correctness, and I have read them all. I buy US News & World Report solely for his column. If you loath political correctness, like I do, you will love this book.

This was an x-mas present from a friend who is a bit to the right of center.

John Leo's great strength as a writer is that he knows how to quickly cut to the bone of an issue. Can't say I agree with 100% of his veiwpoints, but I like the way he writes. His ability to capture in a few words the thrust of his argument or obnservation makes for very powerful reading.

The parts that made me laugh out loud are any of his pieces describing campus politics. Although I certainly sympathize with certain minority groups on my campus, Leo does a nice job of explaining how campus liberals have become vapid shells clining onto some radical past.

A good book to spend the afternoon with.

Tolstoy's last major novel summarizes his personal philosophy. Nekhludov finds himself approaching middle age burdened by guilt. Ten years ago, he seduced the serving girl, Maslova. Maslova's shame degenerated to prostitution. After Maslova is unjustly condemned for murder, Nekhludov decides to intervene on her behalf. He seeks to make amends for his sin and his privileged life by an idealistic binge that manages to miss the point. Through Nekhludov's quest for personal redemption, the reader learns the hypocrisy of Old Russia. Russian society, of course, symbolizes all societies in all eras that wage the eternal struggle. According to Tolstoy, the solution is not idealistic extremes, but the practice of true spiritual love. One on one with the world around us. True religion, as articulated by Christ, that transcends the limited scope of the blatant self-interest of the organized church, political parties, social engineering, and legal maneuvering.

The novel is a grim portrait of the suffering of the poor, in spirit and in fact. Readers who recall the grand historical scope of "War and Peace" and the poignant personal drama of "Anna Karenina" will be struck by the modest presentation of this book. The plot development is minimal, and mainly consists of Nekhludov's interventions on Maslova's behalf with a variety of legal, military, and political persons. This privileged structure, contrasted with the suffering of the prison inmates, leaves a deep impression. Tolstoy's goal is spiritual maturity, and not revolutionary incitement. He writes graphically and realistically of the world. This novel was banned for a time in Edwardian England. It is an eloquent albeit modest summary to Tolstoy's career as a thinker.

Tolstoy's last major novel differs from his earlier work. While in War and Peace or Anna Karenina the characters came face to face with the imponderable issues of life--the "big questions"--those novels did not dwell exclusively on the problems of evil, salvation and the challenges of redemption in the way that Resurrection does. Resurrection presents us with an intensely introspective, guilt-ridden protagonist hunting that most elusive prize: spiritual salvation, or even its lesser consolation: a little peace of mind. The reader is treated to finely drawn characters and an intense sense of place, of social milieu, and of the dilemma of finding personal justice in a deeply unjust world. Although the work is anything but comic, it has an intensely comic passage about the problem in making reparations to people who cannot imagine that one would give up one's property to do so. If you love the complexity of Tolstoy, and you do not mind a book that looks deeply within a character, you'll love Resurrection. It is interesting to contrast the theme of personal guilt in this work with its treatment in Crime and Punishment, and this book holds particular interest if you wish to compare the worldviews of the novels of Tolstoy with those of Dostoevsky.

Tolstoy's Resurrection is an excellent book about the horrors of life during the late 19th century in Russia. Throughout the book, Tolstoy vividly describes Prince Nekhlyudov's inner soul change. Prince Nekhlyudov, a once miserly aristocrat, realizes his mistakes and tries to atone for them. Tolstoy acutely captures the misery many peasants had to endure under the regime of the malevolent and truculent judges, soldiers, governors, and officers. Although this is the first book by Tolstoy I have read, I found it overall an excellent novel. I wouldn't recommend it to someone wanting a quick read because it isn't at all a laconic book.

I have known Scott for many years, I feel he's a rising star in the futures industry. He is very entertaining and he's honest and knows how to talk to the every day trader. His book is worth reading and his mock trading shows are a must. 5 stars all the way. Congrats Scott on a great book

you can't ask for bigger names then Leo Melamed, Jack Sandner, Hal Hansen, Barry Lind,and many others. Scott does an excellent job in putting together a well rounded book on the future of futures. I enjoyed his questions and his insights. I just purchased his book at the Omega Research show in Las Vegas, I also was a participant in his mock trading show inwhich I truly enjoyed. Scott is very funny, and talented. I can't wait to see him perform again, thanks to the Omega Research show I got to meet him. Scott all the best and thanks for putting me in your show

I read Scott Slutsky's book in one night. He writes like he performs on stage during his mock trading sessions, full of energy. He asked good questions to hard subjects, I feel everyone should read this book. This is not just commodities, it's global politics at it's best.

from a huge fan--have read most of her books over the past ten years. This one lacks the passion and compelling characters of her other books. Try other Barbara Delinsky books instead.

This is only the second book I've read by Barbara Delinsky, the first being Three Wishes, and I definitely enjoyed this one more than the other. The setting is a beautiful town in New Hampshire called Lake Henry, where the residents are very protective of their own. Lily Blake was born in Lake Henry but left to pursue some career dreams. She has a wonderful life in Boston as a teacher and a part-time job in an exclusive private dinner club playing the piano and singing. She also has a close friend, Fran Rosetti, who has just been elevated to Cardinal in the Catholic church. Of course, now that Lily's life is almost perfect, something has to come around to destroy it. That something is Terry Sullivan, a journalist, who prints a damaging story of the relationship between Lily and the new Cardinal. The story is untrue but the damage has been done and Lily returns in shame to her hometown.

The good news is that Lily finds strength and support from her former neighbors. She also rekindles a friendship with John Kipling, who has also returned home to Lake Henry and is now the editor of the local newspaper. Together, they forge a bond and find out that there is strength in numbers. Was this another Thorn Birds? Definitely not....just a good, well-written, enjoyable book.

I've never read a book by Barbara Delinsky I haven't enjoyed. So why did it take me nearly two years from the time I bought LAKE NEWS to read it? I'm not sure, but I am sorry I didn't read it sooner. This is a fabulous story and very timely.

Lily Blake has had a longterm friendship with Father Francis Rosetti. When he is elevated to Cardinal, an unscrupulous newspaper reporter, in his attempt to dig up some dirt, accuses Lily and Father Rosetti of having an affair. This results in a media frenzy, Lily losing her jobs (music teacher and a singer/piano player at a private club) and having to flee her Boston home.

Unable to afford an attorney to help clear her name, she seeks refuge in her hometown of Lake Henry, New Hampshire. Although she hides out at first, Lake Henry takes care of their own. Befriending her is John Kipling, the editor of the local newspaper, THE LAKE NEWS.

John has always wanted to write a book and with the news of Lily's alleged affair he feels he has the perfect subject. When he discovers her pleas of innocence, he decides the theme of her story can be the misuse of power by the press and paparazzi (which at one point in the story are called "princess murderers). But as he gets to know Lily and begins to fall in love with her, it's clear that his goals have to be something a bit different. He attempts to exonerate Lily by discovering what made the reporter want to exact revenge on Lily and/or Father Fran in the first place.

This is a compelling read, absolutely unputdownable. I was up until nearly 3 AM in the morning finishing it. Delinsky is a wonderful writer and storyteller! Both John and Lily have issues with their parents to deal with in an attempt to get to know themselves better. There's a wonderful little secondary romance between Lily's younger sister and a writer who is also attempting to write a book on the brouhaha. I also loved the way Lily dealt with her 10-year-old niece, Hannah, an awkward child who just needs some extra TLC.

And how, do you ask, do you follow-up such a wonderful read? By reading another Barbara Delinsky book, of course! I'm off to grab THE VINEYARD off my TBR pile!

Maudeen Wachsmith, Charter Member Reviewers International Organization (RIO)

This book was a reading for my 3rd grade daughter. I have no idea how or why this book EVER won an award, unless it was for being the most boring yet deppressing book ever written. And the illustrations were just as sad.

The Hundred Penny Box tells the story of young Michael and his Great-Great Aunt Dew.
Aunt Dew moved in with Michael and his family so that they could assist with her care
because her failing health made it impossible for her to stay in her home alone. Aunt
Dew is 100 years old and as proof she has a box, which she calls the "Hundred Penny Box"
which contains her collection of 100 pennies. The pennies in her collection represent
the years she has lived, and each birthday she adds a newly minted penny to her
collection. Michael and Aunt Dew play a special game where he counts the pennies while
she interjects memories about what was going on in her life during a that particular
year. Aunt Dew has told her nephew many times that if someone were to take her Hundred
Penny Box they would be taking her life. Because Michael's mother often makes decisions
without discussing them with Aunt Dew the two women do not have the closest of
relationships. When one of Michael's mother's decisions puts the Hundred Penny Box in
danger, what will Michael do to protect it?

While the illustrations in this book clearly reflect the abilities of the Dillon team
they seemed to miss the mark in this book. I felt the artwork took away from the story
considerably and overall it gave a heartwarming story an eerie vibe. Still this is an
enjoyable story about a special intergenerational friendship and love.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay...

The story of Michael and his great-great aunt Dew felt very real to us. We especially liked the part where they played the hundred-penny game together. We also liked the part where old Aunt Dew sings and dances to her favorite record. Dancing makes her feel younger and she forgets that she's a hundred years old. Michael loved Aunt Dew, and the author made us love her, too. Michael and Aunt Dew were very close. We thought that he understood her better than his mother did. We also liked the way that Michael stood up to his mother when she was about to throw away Aunt Dew's old box. We think that everyone should read this book because you can learn alot from it and you will enjoy it, like we did. Kids will understand their older family members better and may make them feel good and happy. [This review was composed and written by my fourth graders in Philadelphia)

This book is a waste of time and money. A successful player in the telecom industry (among other things, he was a senior executive of Global Crossing: so draw your own conclusions), the author presumes to set himself up as an expert on great management and negotiation technique-- but the book seems to be more an excuse for name-dropping and self-congratulation than an attempt to provide any original insight or advice. A notable example of his vaunted negotiation skill is that, in connection with a merger, he did not disclose material information to an acquirer, because the acquirer didn't ask precisely the right question. Thus, a key part of his strategy is to know when to keep his mouth shut: too bad his editors didn't remind him of that. Analyst's recommendation: Avoid.

I bought this book because of the favorable review by Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks. I found the book interesting on many levels and annoying on a few others. The main annoyance was with the general tone of the book. The first part of the book is a homage to many of the people that Hindery has known in the business. It almost sounds solicitous. However, the book recovers from this with a great treatment of how to do deals and insight into how some of the deals he was a part of transpired. I finished the reading of this book with the feeling that while some of the book was a waste, the book as a whole was not a waste of time. Therefore I rate it with 4 stars and encourage any aspiring dealmaker to go and negotiate a good price on the book and learn. The 10 rules for negotiating a deal are excellent.

Hindery's recent appearance on CNBC's Kudlow & Cramer to discuss his book is reason enough to buy it. His words in real time (engaging in repartee with the quick-witted and incisive K&C duo) demonstrate both the substance and the style that have carried him to great success--not just for himself, but more importantly for his stakeholders. He said: Let's not forget about the CEO's REAL job--to create and maintain wealth for the shareholders.

While this is a gripping read, it is much more than an "Aventures in Dealmaking" book. In an age where the "Cult of the CEO" is being redefined, Leo's list of "all-time" great CEO's (and his reasons for putting them in that category) helps build the new paradigm for distinction in the CEO and C++ role. There are dealmakers of mythical proportion whose work stands the test of time; yet as Leo points out (offering proof as well), there are also CEO's who don't do their homework; don't listen to their trusted advisors; and do big deals for all the wrong (i.e., collateral) reasons.

Readers will benefit from mark cuban's review on this site--he emphasizes (and identifies with) Hindery's treatment of the strategic, emotional and personality issues that arise in mega-deals. Hindery is to be commended for "naming names". Yet he has kept other key stakeholders' names out of the limelight. The passage: "John [Malone]'s deals were notoriously complex. Some were so complicated they could make your nose bleed." is brilliant prose, and surely a reference to the usung legal heroes who played their necessary part in the creation of superb wealth for shareholders.

Read it, and if you resonate with it, you're on the right path. RHS.

Pitch a lot is the message of this book. OK, Leo has made his point, but if you accept that there's not much else this book has to offer. I was hoping for a bit more insight and didn't get it here.

Don't let the refreshing lack of complexity fool you. This book provides sound, common sense advice in easy to understand language. Many books on pitching advocate a "cloning approach" to a pitcher's delivery. Other books on pitching drills are confusing and overly technical. As Leo puts it, "Why turn throwing a baseball into a science project?" I got away from attempting to perfect my son's wind-up and delivery after reading this book. As long as the delivery is sound, I really don't think it matters exactly where you break your hands, how far away from the body the hands are when they break, exactly where the glove hand is when this is happening, etc, etc. If you find that other books are confusing you, how confused do you think your youngster is? Give Leo's approach a try.

I cannot but help notice the two earlier reviews which completely pan this book. I cannot disagree more with them even though my own personal inclination still favors ultra-detailed and scientifically based stuff on the subject of pitching mechanics. This book comes as a breath of fresh air because it makes pitching into an 'elevated game of playing catch'. There is an outright refusal to enter into how to manipulate pitching mechanics in minute detail, in favor of laying down a couple of broad absolute pitching fundamentals and then allowing the pitcher the freedom to do what comes naturally dictate the rest. John Smoltz is quoted as saying something to the effect that before he was traded to the Braves, the Tiger's coaches had screwed around with his natural mechanics to his utter detriment and it is this sort of interventionalist thing that Manzone avoids.

Of course the book has passages in which it is written:

"Glavine does this, "What Maddux as he..." and "Smoltz is great when he..."

But these are just illustrations of how the Braves apply their highly controversial ideas on throwing/pitching daily as part of training/conditioning to specific pitchers and how these pitchers got the Brave's program to work for them.

Nor is that all. There is the almost predictable advocacy of the change-up pitch, used to such devastating effect by the top Brave's pitchers. Even on the subject of breaking pitches the minimalist philosophy shines through and the results are fascinating.

I can understand how some readers might feel short-changed by the 'less is more' philosophy but that would be to completely miss the whole point of this book. This is one of the most important books on the subject of pitching ever written and you would be damned a fool to overlook it.

I guess a little revolution every now and then is a good thing, because the "advice" dispensed in here mainly belongs in the dustbin of history.

Just finished the book (which took me a couple of hours) and I have to say it was an interesting memoir of the great admen of all time. The book pinpointed certain questions and tired to find some correlation between the greats (and I think it succeeded in some ways)

But do not let the title of the book fool you to believe that it will help you in any shape or form in becoming a finer copywriter. In fact, the book will most likely only offer you a good read on a Sunday afternoon.

On a particular note, the interview with Reeves was the most interesting part of the book. A worthy buy indeed but do not expect to become a super copywriter after or you will be very disappointed.

There's pleanty of useful info here to help you write better copy - look for the inherent drama of the product, if in doubt ask the manufacturers why they make it, do your research, keep stuff simple. You just have to look for it. Great photos too.