This book is primarily a study of who runs for state legislative seats, and how the mix of persons has changed recently. In this, it is more of an academic study than a "how-to" guide.

However, there are some practical parts that would be of interest to those considering a race. Throughout the book are ten "candidate vignettes" that show the difficulties and situations faced by real candidates.

In the latter part of the book, there is a section dealing with the candidate and their campaign that also offers some practical comments (primary one: most first time candidates underestimate the work involved in running for office. Very true.).

Overall this is interesting, though perhaps mostly to those involved in the process or political science types.

This book presents research on what types of people run for election to state legislative positions. It is the result of interviews of legislative party leaders in half the states, surveys of legislative candidates in eight states, and personal interviews of candidates in three sates. A primary observation of this book is that, in recent years, fewer people seek election to state legislatures. This is interesting, as state legislatures have gained greater importance. State legislatures have been gaining increased power over budgets and overseeing government operations. While state legislators have gained power, the position attracts fewer candidates.
It appears challengers shy away from running against these increasingly powerful incumbent legislators. It is usually difficult to defeat an incumbent legislator. It is costly in terms of time and finance to run campaigns. Further, winning often is not enough incentive to run. People usually find more financial reward, job security, and potential occupational upward mobility in other careers. It is becoming more difficult to find people to risk their carrers to enter politics.
The authors find there has been increased activity towards social and political activism. There has been decreased participation in any type of structured activities, from being politically active, going to church, and even joining bowling leagues.
So, who does run? Just over half (52.1% according to the authors) of legislative candidates have no children at home. Most candidates are male and Caucasian. The largest source of candidates is those recruited by political party officials.
This is a fascinating study into an area seldom examined. It is dismaying that the public has fewer choices in voting for state legisaltive seats at times when the position's importance is increasing. The book shows how a lack of media attention on legislative races means the public is receiving less information to make choices even when choices of candidates are presented. This book makes solid observations based on empirical evidence. It is an excellent study.

This is an excellent textbook that has aged well and belongs close to the desk of anyone who is involved in managing forests and their contents. Hunter does an excellent job of pulling together ideas of landscape ecology, traditional wildlife management, and forestry techniques with a strong emphasis on the practical. The book is well written & I often find myself "coming to" seven or eight pages later after having pulled it off the shelf to look up one thing & then being drawn in to read more and more. My only complaint is that it IS a textbook, which affects the structure somewhat & more importantly affects the price. It is a lot to ask some of Hunter's audience to pay, but another way of looking at this is that it is cheaper in money, time and shelf space to get one good book than several bad ones, and this is certainly that one good book.

Malcolm Hunter's "Wildlife, Forests, and Forestry" is a gem of a book and an absolute must for every forest manager. This was the first synthesis of landscape ecology, wildlife biology, and forest management that I encountered, and I still refer to it today. Unlike many scholarly works, Hunter's treatment easily lends itself to operational, on the ground applications. Likewise, the prose is straightforward and suitable for those new to the field. I also strongly recommend his subsequent synthesis, "Maintaining Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems," which is even better.

This book is about all the players ever to play in the Rugby League 1st Grade premiership. It gives a little review on quite a few of the big players and has all the statistics for every player.

I like it and I follow the Newcastle Knights. My fav. is Andrew Johns. Can't get a much better book than this!

I've recently recommended this fascinating book to many of myfriends -- in Gladwell's terms, that may make me a Maven. The TippingPoint explores the many things that make an idea (or product or message) "catch on." Fortunately, it is loaded with examples and studies that make it involving, easy to read, and provide substantial evidence for many of the points therein. These examples demonstrate how the ideas in the book touch on our lives every day: how the personalities of the people around us affect our own behavior, how we can have a positive influence on the world around us, and more.

The book is written with a relatively broad target audience in mind, but it seems to be mainly directed at product marketing folks. Although Gladwell is talking about political campaigns, the Revolutionary War, and children's television, most of the book seems to be focused on "as a marketer, how do you get your message out and how to you get it to affect people." This is not necessarily bad, and Gladwell is careful to point out that the ideas in the book do apply much more broadly to the world at large. I fear this will be a turn off to some readers, however.

The Tipping Point does make extensive reference to scientific literature and psychological studies to back up the points that it makes, but I was disappointed on a couple of counts with the science. First, Gladwell proposes the existence of certain rules and personality types, and then attempts to prove that these are valid. I don't think his postulates are invalid, but they are just one way of thinking about the ideas in the book. In my mind, I think of them like Freud's ego, id, and super-ego. Do these things really exist? Well, probably not, but they can be a useful metaphor for thinking about our minds. Gladwell's connectors, mavens, and salesmen are similar and I wish he were explicit about them being a useful fiction. I guess most intelligent readers won't have a problem.

Also, I wish he mentioned complexity theory and how it also examines "epidemic behavior" in populations. I would recommend "Complexity : The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos as a good intro to this area.

I highly recommend this book. One message to take from it is an extremely hopeful one: we can make a tremendous impact on the world around us. And this book gives some great ideas about how you might start. END

This relatively short book is a very pleasant surprise. Usually I am quite skeptical of new theories and concepts that attempt to explain human behavior, since the thinking, embedded in pompous language, often proves shallow and the primary goal seems simply to grab attention and book sales. Instead I found Gladwell's book well written, fast paced, interesting and thought provoking. Subject to translating its ideas successfully into practical actions, I believe it is potentially very useful in social sciences and business.

Gladwell's use of examples from very different fields adds to the interest in and credibility of the factors that contribute to a sudden "epidemic" - good or bad - of a behavior, an idea, a product or a belief. I am particularly intrigued by his concept that the true underlying causes and explanations for what we perceive as extremely complex social issues, for example, can be "tipped" with simple, direct actions in the right place at the right time. All too often governments and companies try to solve their big problems with excessively expensive, but ineffective programs or projects. I agree with him that attempted solutions frequently fail to address basic motivational factors and that the best solutions are often counterintuitive.

For those of us in business, I think the concepts in this book, properly applied, could make us more effective. Gladwell's business examples, his linkage to Geoffrey Moore's "Crossing the Chasm" and his brief discussion of the "magic 150" make the book worth reading. Far from being a "how to" handbook, considerable thought will be required to apply it practically, which I believe will be a good learning experience.

As I read the book I realized that many analogs of this concept exist in the physical world. There are many examples from stereo amplifiers to martial arts in which relatively small forces or energy inputs at the right place and time cause large differences in outcomes.

Why five stars? The book gave me a new perspective for thinking how and why things happen in society and business. It presents interesting observations and information about trends that affect us. I think it will be useful in my business. It is well written. And, it is unpretentiously short.

Despite an earlier reviewer poo-pooing this book for shallow insights, I beg to differ. This book is a fascinating and original take on what makes people behave in a certain way en masse. Tying together Paul Revere, Hush Puppies and many other very accessible ideas makes this book, that is in some ways very academic, read like a thriller. I read it in three sittings. It has an impact on several levels. One, as a marketer, it gave me insights into how word-of-mouth really works. I'll be experimenting with these concepts for years. Second, as a member of society, I gained insight into why I am pulled this way and that by trends. If you enjoyed this, you'll also enjoy the groundbreaking book by Robert Cialdini called "Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion." It makes some of the same points. Finally, it makes me think that some savvy activists will find some ways to use these principles to start societal epidemics that will ultimately have a positive effect. I believe Gladwell has introduced a concept, "the Tipping Point," that will have a wide-ranging impact on how we view the world and human behavior.

I first read this book in college, and have reread it a number of times since then. The story is set in the newly-formed Republic of Gilead, what used to be the United States (and more specifically the story is set in and around Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA). Atwood incorporates a number of different and some might say disparate schools of political theory into this dytopia, including communism, Christian fundamentalism, and radical feminism, and shows what happens when normal citizens fail to educate themselves about ideas that may differ with their own. While many reader may consider this novel completely feminist or anti-Christian, a closer look reveals neither to be true. The Republic of Gilead twists Christianity considerably from its true message; in fact there is one passage where Baptists (who a lot of people think of as the "most religious" Christians) are being beseiged by the Gileadean army. And it makes a number of jabs at the goals currently held by some radical feminists, among them striving for a man-free "women's culture". All in all, this is a book that gets off to a somewhat slow start but really grows on you after awhile, and by the time you get to the end, you want to pick it up and start all over again. The scariest but also most imspiring part was thinking about what we as a society can do to prevent this.

THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood is a true classic. It is a cleverly crafted novel about a young woman called Offred who lives in a dystopian fundamentalist society called Gilead, set in the future. The book unfolds like a diary or series of letters, as the reader is provided with a clear psychological insight into the main character. Much of the tension stems from our exposure to Offred's internalised feelings; which are often ones of both frustration and resistance, faith and hopelessness. From the start of the novel, the reader plunges into Offred's world without much orientation and at first it is hard for the reader to decipher exactly what is going on. This is obviously Atwood's intention, as our confusion mirrors that of Offred. In fact, in order to get the most from this book, you really need to suspend judgement as nothing is really made clear until the last page - and even then, you may find a second reading beneficial.

Atwood explores controversial issues including feminism, anti-feminism, abortion, pornography, environmental issues, violence against women, bisexuality, ethics of cloning, racism, extreme right-wing polices, militant nationalism, and religious fanaticism. I am sure that we can all think of events that relate to these issues, and many of them will be as horrific as the society depicted by Atwood in this book.

The emphasis in this novel, however, is not in giving answers, but provoking thought and warning the reader to guard against complacency. It is an open-ended narrative and this can feel very frustrating for those of us who like a 'and they lived happily ever after' ending, where we can feel a sense of completion and satisfaction. This book is just simply not like that, and to be honest, I think it would be to the detriment if it were. This is an eye-opener and not intended to reassure the reader of his or her own well being.

Although not set in the 'real' world, this society is very realistic in many senses. Think of Nazi Germany, think of American Puritanism, the Romanian state controlled birth rate, slavery, Stalinism and some of the principles outlined in the Bible and you will soon realise how terrifying our own world can be. This may be fiction, but it would be true to say that none of it has been made up. A true work of art. Highly recommended!

I had this book on my bookshelf for three years before I finally decided to read it. Now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long! The Handmaid's Tale is awesome and it has completed my favorites list of 2002. Highly recommended.

Margaret Atwood's story is set in the future after the United States has undergone a nuclear war and the government has been destroyed. In place now is a strict and dangerous political scene, where any type of crime can result in an execution and a public hanging on The Wall. Not only that, but women are made secondhand citizens and are no longer able to hold jobs, make money, read or write.

The Handmaid's Tale is told through the eyes of Offred in the former state of Massachusets, now called the Republic of Gilead. Offred is a Handmaid, or a surrogate mother of sorts, who is appointed to an infertile couple in order to get pregnant and help boost the population. However, it isn't as easy as that since the only legal way to get pregnant is the old-fashioned way, which causes jealousy and tension throughout the household. And with the rigorous government, Offred isn't allowed to complain or refuse unless she wants to be shipped off to clean up toxic nuclear waste for the rest of her life.

I absolutely loved this book and will recommend it to all my book friends. The Handmaid's Tale is the perfect book for book clubs as it will evoke numerous discussions on feminism, nuclear war, radical government policies, slavery, etc. Margaret Atwood poses the question of "what if?" and one can only hope that this tale remains fiction. Excellent, thought-provoking, fascinating and heart-pounding -- this novel will never be forgotten.

"If you are looking for mind blowing new ideas, you won't find them in this, or any other marketing book." Seth Godin prefaces his "manifesto" with the truth.

My marketing text summed up the essence of this book in less than a page, under the Innovation Diffusion Process, which is "the spread of a new idea from its source of invention or creation to its ultimate users or adopters." This is to say that I felt Unleashing The Idea Virus, at 197 pages, is 196 pages too long winded in explaining that word of mouth marketing is more than just word of mouth marketing.

Looking past the repetitiveness of the content, the entertainment value of Idea Virus is what is infectious. A sizeable amount of the book is replete with examples of thriving viruses. From Fast Company to Hilfiger Skull Caps, he supports his claim with a plethora of high profile success stories, demonstrating just how valuable a virus can be.

Unleashing the Idea Virus is wordy but interesting. Similar to gossip from your best friend, this book is probably something you could live without, but none the less, it provides a certain amount of entertainment value, intended to spread like wildfire.

This is the newest book by Seth Godin, which is one of the authors that most influenciate my ideas. This book is the continuation of the masterpiece Permission Marketing (which is about how to change the traditional marketing idea of interrupting people by permission marketing). Unleashing the Ideavirus brings the answer to the obviuos question after reading Permission Marketing: "How can I obtain people's permission, since this involves at least one interruption?". The idea behind this book is simple: why spending zillion dollars on TV ads if you can spend much less at word-of-mouth campaings (which the author calls "ideavirus"), and which is more efficient? This book confirms what I am saying for ages: if you have just build up your own company, it is not worth to sepend money on traditional media. The books is full of case studies, with enphasis on internet business. The ideas on which this book is based aren't quite new, but this is the best shot of Godin's work: he can arrange, at just one book, everything you must know in order to understand and make efficient marketing campaings in this new century, without spending time with complicated ideas which doesn't work at pratical levels. The contents of this book are of immediate pratical use, on whichever business your are running: traditional, internet or informal of any kind.

Seth Godin writes about social observations and then applies them to the world of business. For example, this book is about "viral/word of mouth marketing" whereas his prior book was about permission based marketing and its impact on communications with customers. His recently released book, Survival is not Enough, is about "survival of the fittest" via his Darwinian-like take on business.

I read permission marketing some years ago and really enjoyed it as it refreshed my thoughts on customer satisfaction and interaction. Then, this book came out and it really changed my paradigm about the growth aspect of businesses and how "viral marketing" could have a profound impact on an upstart Internet companies growth trajectory. I've read Gladwell's The Tipping Point and I must say, this book is better written and has examples more applicable to business.

I found myself reading the book quite quickly as I was consumed by it as it was filled with interesting ideas about how to get people interested in what you have to offer. The principles mentioned in the book could be applied to anything you do in life that you want others to notice but I found the examples on Internet businesses to be fascinating. Counter to traditional marketing wisdom,which tries to count,measure,and manipulate the spread of information, Godin argues that the information can spread most effectively from customer to customer,rather than from business to customer. Godin calls this powerful customer-to-customer dialogue the ideavirus and cheerfully egg marketers on to create and environment where their ideas can replicate.

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur this book is not a "how-to" book with a step-by-step approach to marketing but, if you read permission marketing and then this book you will have a VERY THOROUGH understanding about how to market on the Internet and grow your business.

Other useful books on marketing that I have read or been recommended include Seth Godin's Permission Marketing and Unleashing the Ideavirus (both great reads), the 22 immutable laws of marketing by Jack Trout and All Reis (excellent authors and a good read), Robert Cialdini's Influence and Ogilvy on Advertising or Wizard of Ads for help in sales copying.

It's difficult to believe that this is the author's first novel!

In the 1880s, Edward Drake, a quiet piano tuner who often loses himself in a trance as he works, gets called by the English army to repair a piano deep in the jungles of Burma. Leaving his wife behind, he sets out on the long journey--so long that halfway into the book, I wondered if he would ever reach his destination.In Mandalay, he meets Khin Myo, a beautiful Burmese woman who is to be his servant and companion.

Drake and Khin Myo do finally reach Mae Lwin, the remote village in the Shan Hills where a strange army doctor named Anthony Carroll has been living. It was the doctor who requested the piano be sent there--a costly and difficult effort--as part of his efforts to negotiate peacefully with the warring factions, using music and medicine.

Drake quickly repairs the damaged piano, but finds reasons to stay in the village long after he is needed. He does not want to go back to the dreariness of London life, and so he stays, in awe of the doctor, and tempted by Mae Lwin. He is now caught in another trance.

Finally, he must leave the village, and he is forced to wake from his dream. He is confronted with questions about who Dr Carroll and Khin Myo really are, and what his role really was.

There are a few parts that could have been cut from the beginning, in my opinion. For example, the tiger hunt, and "the man with one story." But I thoroughly enjoyed the many details of life in Mandalay and Mae Lwin. The author displays a thorough knowledge of the time and the culture. But the book is more than a travelogue; it's a unique story with emotional depth and believable, distinguishable characters.

In 1886, expert piano tuner Edgar Drake receives an unusual request from Her Majesty's War Office to service a rare grand piano in a remote area of the Burmese Army's division. Surgeon-Major Carroll heads a post of strategic interest to Britain there, and the government has reluctantly agreed to deliver a grand piano to him or risk his threat of resignation. Thus Drake's services are requested and his adventure to Burma begins. As Drake leaves his wife behind, he sets out on his long journey that lasts for months. The reader begins to wonder if he will ever reach his destination. We are rewarded after this long beginning and journey in the second half of the book, with a story that is filled with beautiful descriptions of exotic pre-colonial Burma, its people, and their dramatic history. After Drake finally meets Major Carroll, and finally tunes the piano, the story picks up at a fast pace that will keep you glued to your seats. Drake finds himself more involved than he ever expected in Major Carroll's affairs. When Drake meets a new love interest, Khin Myo, both of them set out on an adventure that is quite surprising, and we are soon rewarded with an unexpected climax to this stunning novel.

I truly enjoyed Mason's debut historical novel. It's a beautifully written story that will take you away to a time when things were so much simpler. It's a great travelogue, and a peaceful way to spend a few hours relaxing. I know I am now definitely a fan of Mason's writing, and look forward to his next endeavor. "The Piano Tuner" is quite an achievement!

Joe Hanssen

A Great first Novel!
I was lucky to pick up an advanced copy of this first novel at the library. It caught my attention with its subject matter as I had just read'Tournament of Shadows' by Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Brysac about the history of the 'great game' in Central Asia (a great non-fiction book). I found the Piano Tuner's adventure story and it telling against the roll of the British Army in the jungles of Burma an interesting backdrop to this novel set in the late 1800s. The Piano Tuner is going to be a big hit! It is so well written, filled with great visuals and as the Piano Tuner, Edgar Drake, travels from London to Burma just to tune a mysterious piano for a mysterious officer. It's basic structure reads like 'Heart of Darkness'. I really enjoyed this first novel. (I am sure Mr. Daniel Mason will not be able to complete medical school as we will all want to read his next book.) Now I wonder who will make this into a movie.. I see Ralph Fines in the lead.

I'm pleased to say that although (or because) I resist being told how I "ought" to dress, resent the fact that image is as important as it is, doubt that fashion and style have much relation to each other, and consider "practical" to be the best thing that can be said about a piece of clothing, this was still a really nice book.

However, I anticipate its getting some bad reviews because it does ask you to do the work yourself; if you're looking for a quick fix, or an outfit that'll change the way you deal with people without your having to address how you generally do deal with them, forget it. It doesn't tell you "your" colors or what silhouette is "right" for your shape, it doesn't show photos of the looks in question, and it offers no real shortcuts. It asks you to decide who YOU are, what's important to you, and make your fashion choices based on what you decide. And anyone who thinks that's easy hasn't spent enough time thinking about who he or she is. The book, in short, is for people who do want to know who they are; for people who are trying to be something they aren't (glamorous? socially glittering? powerful?) it hasn't much to offer. But if you do think you want to know, or have done the work already, and if you're sure you can deal with what you find, it's a pleasure to read.

I've read quite a few style books and this is definitely the first time I've come across this approach. Specifically, the authors believe you need to know yourself - your passions, your feelings about your body and yourself before you can effectively dress to express yourself. You go through many exercises that help you discover what the author's feel many people don't know and need to know before they can figure out their true personal style.

Which clothes you choose that reflect your true self will apparantly become clear to you once you do the inner work. I say apparantly because I did all the exercises and the vision never materialized - or at least it didn't seem any different from what I all ready wore, which may be something in itself.

The most important things I got out of this book were about fit, determining quality and how it is necessary to practice discipline when shopping. But I can see that for others who feel a disconnect between themselves and the world can benefit from working on some personal issues related to their style of dressing. You are what you wear.

If you are looking for color charts, pictures, or hints to disguise figure problems, you'd better look elsewhere. There's not a single picture to be found. In fact, I'd file this book under "psychology" and not "fashion." Here's why:

This is not a formulaic approach to style, as are most books of this type. People are not pigeonholed into a "winter" color shade, or labeled as "pear-shaped," and then given recommendations accordingly. Instead, this book tackles what might be the most difficult, yet heroic task of all: identifying a person's true, inner style, or "statement," and then finding ways to make the outside covering of that person match the inside, and in the most flattering way. Making this match allows a person to live more freely in their true style, thereby tremendously boosting self-esteem.

Yes, it sounds pretty new-age and the exercises presented could be at home in a counseling or therapy setting. But it's no secret that a person's identity, and the way that identity is presented to the world -- and furthermore, the way that identity is *received* by the the world, all have a profound impact on that person. After all, at its most basic level, fashion and style are all about communicating a message -- that the person is wealthy, rebellious, sexy, young, whatever. This book just helps people to discover what message they want to send out, and how to transmit an accurate message.

This is not to say that this is the *only* book you'd need on fashion. I'd use this book as a starting point to discover what statement you want to make. Then, all the other fashion books with pictures are most helpful in getting creative ideas on how to get that statement across.

In his autobiography, decorated CIA veteran Tony Mendez has written a detailed and fascinating account of spy operations during the Cold War. Other books have told us what the CIA did, but this is the first and only to expose the secrets of how they did it! Tony's unique career, and mastery of disguises, deception, forgery, and exfiltration, show us that the gadgets utilized by "James Bond" weren't alwaus fictional! Spy agencies worldwide will make THE MASTER OF DISGUISE required reading for intelligence officers; the new KGB will probably charter a plane to rush the first 100 copies straight to Moscow! H Keith Melton; author of THE ULTIMATE SPY BOOK

I have read quite a few non-fiction accounts of cold war espionage and this book not only tells a fascinating story but also provides detailed descriptions of how, and with what tools the CIA operated against the enemy. The author has skillfully told a fascinating, insiders true story - pick it up!

Mr. Mendez has shared with his readers a very real sense of what it was to be inside the CIA, and then inside some of their most exciting (and up to this point) secret operations. It is interesting that the CIA has allowed these stories to be told now, but in fact, after reading them, it is apparent that the intelligence equities are not affected. In each case the or foreign source has been safely rescued and resettled or the case has been finalized, once with the ultimate sacrifice on the part of the asset. I was thoroughly caught up in these tales of rescue and escapes from danger. It is amazing that these true stories are even more exciting than the Clancey books. His first book is a definite must read and will be on my Christmas gift list for several of my friends.

Under the Volcano follows the last day of an ex-Consul named Geoffry Firmin in the town of Quauhnahuac, Mexico. The novel slowly lays out the events that have led up to the current time in the book by entering the thoughts of the main characters Geoffry Firmin, Yvonne Firmin, and Hugh Firmin. The detail that Lowry uses to create such a clear picture of everything surrounding Geoffry Firmin is impeccable and brings the story alive. The emotion that the characters are feeling throughout the novel is so moving that at times you find yourself hating Geoffry for his drinking problem while at others you feel sympathetic towards him and his struggle to do the right thing. The novel is not bogged down with boring insights into the characters minds, but instead looking into their thoughts helps portrary the conflicting feelings that each has for the others. Definately a recommended read as it is a touching account of one mans struggle to come to grips with reality and try to overcome his alcoholism while making peace with himself and those around him.

Under the Volcano chronicles the last day in the life of the British Consul to Quauhnahuac, Mexico. The surface story recounts how his ex-wife, Yvonne, and his half-brother, Hugh, try to pull him from the alcoholic funk he's fallen into, and in the course of the day, they visit several locations in and around Quauhnahuac.

The descriptive prose makes the setting come alive, and you're left with the feeling of actually seen some of these places. The mini parks, the ruins of Maximilian's Palace, the cinema, the backyard of the Consul's house, and the great volcano, Popocatepetel, which keeps appearing and disappearing, growing and shrinking, as they wander around the landscape - all these things become very real under Lowry's brilliant examination.

Inspired by Joyce, Lowry's book has several parallels with Ulysses. Except for the first chapter, it all takes place in a single day -- November 1, 1938 (the Mexican holiday called "The Day of the Dead.") There are three principal characters, two male, one female, who wander around the landscape, etc. However, Ulysses is an extremely difficult read, and all the interesting parts are below the surface; Under the Volcano is an easy read, and quite satisfactory without looking deeper.

A lot has been written about the deeper meanings of the book, of course, but the most obvious seems to be the allegory to Europe on the edge of war. In this view, the Consul represents the old Europe heading to its destruction despite the efforts of idealists to save it. Or perhaps more accurately, the senseless decline of the Consul to his death parallels the senseless descent of Europe into the destruction of World War II. Likewise as the day proceeds the bright hope of the morning darkens as the sun declines into the hopeless dark and storms that come with the night. And the very first chapter - the one set exactly one year later - is darkened by a tremendous storm -- a storm which seems to represent the European war then already in full career.

A powerful book, thoroughly enjoyable, and meriting repeated reading.

Under the Volcano is an amazing novel of despair with some of the most stunning and evocative writing I had ever read. The novel charts a single day in the life of an alcoholic consul in Mexico who is beyond believing in the redemption of life, love or religion. The pace of the novel fits perfectly with its content, slowly tracing the unsteady steps of this incredibly insightful man. I was amazed by the beautiful writing and was transported by its vivid imagery. Stay with this book...it will stay with you.