This was a highly enjoyable quick read that had me laughing out loud and brought a tear to my eye. Calvin and his family spend a part of each summer in lovely Portofino,Italy. Calvin's parents are strict Prodestant fundamental missionaries who are desparate to convert the "heathen Catholics" around them. Calvin's two sister's are equally zealous, but Calvin is not so sure. He is constantly embarrassed by his mother's non-stop praying, his father's temper and the agonies of adolescence. On another level however there are many obvious jabs at fundamentalists, and as I understand the author was in fact raised by missionary parents there are some very unflattering references drawn with respect to his father. That said this is still a super little read that is both poignant and hilarious. It's worth your time to seek this one out.

I picked up Frank Schaeffer's Portofino in an airport bookstore as my wife and I took off for a trip to Europe. For the next week, as we prepared to go to sleep in different hotel rooms and camping grounds I read aloud the story of Calvin and his family. While the book is represented as a coming-of-age story, we were most enthralled with the challenges to a child growing up in a devout missionary family where religion was the sacred basis of life, but also the tedious anchor to adventure. Our favorite scene involved the 'bahini' (beach attendant) arguing with the English and the Italians after a dispute on the amount of time a rental boat was used. A delightful book, and moreso as a book read aloud between two adults

My daughter and I had the best time reading "Portofino" she picked it up in the airport an couldn't put it down while on Spring Break, then passed it on to family and friends. Even tho we are "sadly delusioned Roman Catholics, clinging to empty tradition and meaningless ritual" we totally loved this book! I have now read it twice (every bit as funny the second time around) in preparation to leading the discussion at our Door County Summer Book Club. Can't wait to hear everyone's comments.

I have read several books on video poker but this one is the best. Aside from the fact that it is a fun book to read, hard thing to do when you are writing about over one hundred machines, it has strategies that are easy to use and that can give you a good shot at the casino's money. What I liked about it was the organization and accessibility of the information. The book takes the major machine divisions, jacks or better, deuces wild, joker poker, and others, and gives the variations of these types with distinct strategies for each. A very good book and I recommend that video poker players get it.

If you are looking for an all purpose book on video poker this is the one I would recommend. The strategies are easy to understand becausethey are written in English and not in chart form. For novies such as myself, this helped me a lot. The book is a fun read as well because Frank Scoblete mixes the strategies with humorous stories.

Frank Scoblete has given us strategies to approach all the various types of video poker machines. Some of these machines are even beatable, while others through a combination of return-percentage and comps can return more than you spend. The key is knowing which machines are which and how to play them. Scoblete gives his strategies in a very simple way, unlike most other video poker books that make it almost impossible to understand what the author is saying. This also has great sections of video blackjack and craps. Keno players will find a section on video keno as well. The book is very well written and Scoblete uses personal anecdotes to keep the book moving. He is a really great writer.

There is not that much to say about this brilliantly crafted book, for it is almost too good to describe. I decided to give this book four stars because in some cases she didn't write as enthusiaticly as in her other books. Don't get me wrong though, as a book, it deserves ten stars! As a Louisa May book, only four (out of five that is!) I cannot write to you, reader, too much about the sumery because every chapter was a new scrape or story. But don't worry, everything is connected. Jo March from Little Women now is married and has two boys of her own, plus a few orphans and sons of busy fathers. In Plumfield, boys are every where, including the musical Nat, book worm Demi Brooke, indestructable Tommy, Dan, adorable Teddy, and deticated Rob! But don't forget the three girls: timid Daisy Brooke, Giddy-Gaddy Nan, and the loveable Bess. All share scrapes and adventures that will leave you scandalized. Jo and her husband have a lot in store for them! Plus, a hint of romance at the end. Look for the sequal, Jo's Boys! So, reader, thank you for taking you time to read this review, and I honostly insist for you to read this book! Louisa May Alcott is one of my favorite authors, and maybe she can be yours too! Sincerly, A grateful reader.

Little Men is the funniest of all the three books. I like this book, but not as much as the Jo's Boys or Little Women. Little Men begins with 'Nat as the 1st ch. If you have seen the movie and think it is great, wait till you read the book. The novel is much more sophisticated and very touching. The movie basically concentrates on Nat and Dan, but the novel is about every single boy and girl. If you've seen the movie and didnt like it, guess what, try the novel! My fav't characters are everybody. Old Chirper(Nat), Dan, Demi, Daisy, Tommy, Franz, Commodore(Emil), Nan, Princess(Bess), little Ted, Rob, Jack..too many people. If you like the story of boys and girls, this is one of the books to read. If this is the Alcott's 1st book you've read, TRY ALL! ALCOTT IS THE BEST! My fav't part is the LITTLE COOKSTOVE(iron). Its so neat, and how Daisy, Nat, Demi, Dan, Emil, Tommy, and dont forget our Teddy, and Rob, standing up for each others.

This is the continuation of Little Women, and Jo's Boys will be the cont. of this book. Little Men is a book about the boys and girls of all ages, and if you thought little women was much about women, READ THIS BOOK. The boys are all different ages. There is musical Nat, bookworm Demi, troublesome Tommy, fireband Dan(my fav't character), resonsible Franz, commodore Emil, Little Ted, Rob...and dont forget girls, Lovely Daisy, ms.giddy gaddy Nan, and pretty Bess....and so many other characters. They just will not be friends, but a great big FAMILY. They will be happy, sad, confused, angry...at each other, but will not be a problem for Mr.&Mrs. Bhaer(Jo), Mr.&Mrs. Brooke(Meg), and Mr.and Mrs. Laurence(laurie&Amy). These young men and women will be so different, yet so together and close!

If you haven't read comic books ever since you were a child, this is a comix that the older you may enjoy. Writer/artist Frank Miller entertains the reader with dazzling graphics, bold storytelling, and great adventure. Miller is a master of this American art form and this book shows how entertaining good comix can be. The production values on this book will blow away your expectations based on what comic books looked like years ago. Much larger than a comic book, the large page size and the high quality color printing invite the reader to linger over each page. This beautifully produced book also showcases the brilliant color artwork of Lynn Varley. Varley's colors heighten the drama of Miller's bold storytelling. 300 is a comix book that you can leave out on your coffee table.

There once were heady days when a kid could step up to a comics rack, twirl it, and find a thrilling Frank Miller DAREDEVIL cover. Ninjas! Kingpin! Elektra! The stories flowed like rivers. And they evolved, as did the author who crafted them. Frank Miller was new and all the fans were buzzing. The art was absolutely phenomenal! It was like Neal Adams crossed w/ Bruce Lee and Hitchcock! The stories were even MORE compelling. They were not unlike a great Shakespearean drama. A saga for the ages. Comics came under a glorious new light in those days--the early 1980's.

Mr. Miller and his incredibly talented wife, colorist Lynn Varley, team again on "300" with spectacular results. "The Dark Knight Returns" was a career (and Comics) milestone, but Frank & Lynn really pour it on this time around. The pages are stunning. The story flows in the endearing Miller style, i.e. radical, flowing panels, super dramatic contrast flashes and brooding character moments. And, of course, furious violence.

"300" is a bravura story, boldly told by one of the great graphic masterminds. These are Comics as they should be. And Miller is further blessed to have as a wife one of the most deeply talented comics colorists of all-time. Excellence in storytelling. A timeless work.

I've spent the last ten years or so ignoring Frank Miller, due to his insistence on beating his "Sin City" stories to death. I can think of no other instance where a creator has so strongly turned me off of his work.

When the "300" series was announced, I took notice, both out of anticipation and shock. I was amazed that he was turning his attentions to such a large project. The result was a beautiful piece of work, and it's made better in this oversize hardcover, due to the fact that the pages are presented in their intended format: wide-angle spreads, some as panoramic as a movie.

Telling the story of the battle of Thermopylae is a BIG task, but considering he only had 6 issues, Miller does a fantastic job. The story was a bit lacking in some spots, but overall, I was impressed. It's not a wholly fact-based account. He has taken the general story and added some made-up characters, events, etc., to make it flow.

The Art... after seeing Miller do stark black and white with little detail for so long, I was doubting if he'd be able to recapture the feel present in so many of his classic works. He does, even exceeding them in some cases. His art for this story has so much depth , and it's made more powerful by Lynn Varley's coloring.

A beautiful book overall. If you'd like to read another fictionalized account, check out "Gates of Fire" by Pressfield.

Spin Roulette Gold is a comprehensive analysis of roulette that shows you various ways to approach winning strategies. Frank Scoblete is an easy writer to read because he has a good style. This is a great book for beginners and advanced players as it takes you stepby step through the odds, various betting systems and various advantage-play methods. Scoblete knows his subject thoroughly.

The wheel is the key to any attempt to win money at this game and Scoblete, a consumate gaming writer, explains exactly why that is so. The "game" of roulette is unbeatable unless the wheel is flawed or the dealers have some control over their spins. Scoblete explores both these topics in an excellent way. I think his analysis of why betting systems tend to fail is excellent and his recommendations for short-term and long-term play are on the money. This is another fine book by the King of the gambling writers.

Spin Roulette Gold is really three books in one. Scoblete discusses the various strategies that have been traditionally used to beat the game and he explains why they don't work in the long run. Then he goes on to discuss various methods of play that can actually give the player the edge. Finally, Scoblete supplies his readers with more than 10,000 spins of real roulette wheels in order to test his and other systems. What sets Scoblete's book apart is it research and his ability to write an enjoyable book on what in the hands of others can be a very dull topic. This is a really first rate book.

This is book has been updated many times (through the fifth edition). If you have read the latest edition, and believe you have read anything like the original, go back and read this one. Once you have read 'Old Ben', you will find other editions very disappointing. That could be why Warren Buffet suggested going back to the original if you want to know what value investing is all about.

Current investment practice, and later editions of this book concentrate on the one thing that Graham said was, if not impossible, very non-productive - estimating future earnings. This book concentrates on understanding proven value. Where one spends most of its time on the income statement, this book spends most of its time on the balance sheet. There is a world of difference, and the difference leads to a much different portfolio, and future.

There is, as the author points out repeatedly, a difference between investment and speculation. There is also a difference between helpful discussion and meaningful analysis. The original edition is full of meaning, written by a practitioner who also could teach. Later editions (especially the fifth) make me wonder how much of the master's works the new authors read before starting. It also makes me question how much influence Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette and Autanet exercised in return for their grant to finance the book.

If you want a great book on investing read the original. It will give you much more insight and at least twice as much 'food for thought'.

Graham is a patient logical thinker who explains his methods meticulously.Don't look here for a get rich quick scheme.If you love the markets, and already have a basic knowledge of stocks and bonds,this book will give you a good base of reference to discern true value and keep from being caught up in the latest fad.Written with the benefit of hindsight after the Crash of 29,it is a must read.It is not light reading,yet sticking with it proves very rewarding.

Someone wrote reviews to this book indicating that the major downside to it is its age. The book was written in 1934 therefore it misses all the modern developments of finance - modern portfolio theory for example - and all the new techniques that Wall Street "experts" use today.

As an answer I give an anecdote from Warren Buffett's life:
When stock investments started to become popular, the volume increased ten fold, and the modern techniques to make a profit were developed, Warren Buffet was extremely worried. He remembered what happened in 1929. He loathed the new trends in investment that tried to predict the future price of a stock. Therefore he had a meeting with all his fellow Graham students, he expressly forbid to bring anything newer than the 1934 edition of Security Analysis.

This happened decades ago, but history repeats. We all know what happened 3 years ago. We all know how "experts" thought that the market was booming, and how they let it crash. We all know how they made a profit on the money that private investors lost.

Nowadays when I go shopping for a book I always look at the date of pubblication, if it is between 1997 and 2000 I'm very wary. All those books about "new economy", "digital era", "e-commerce", "dot coms", etc. have to be taken with the maximum attention. Usually they contain a lot of inflated ideas that as we look at what happened after they were written we understand how much those "experts" really understand about stock investments.

If they were wrong then, why should they be righ now?
Trust me, but more importantly, trust Graham, trust Buffett, (those that have been consistently right for 50 years) this is the book to buy, "anything newer looks suspicious."

In The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum the fictional Dorothy spends just four pages in Kansas with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry before a cyclone takes her to Oz, a country of marvelous beauty. This novel explores the life of a fictional Dorothy who never escapes the harsh reality of her life in Kansas except in the world of her imagination.

WAS mixes a historian's dedicated search for details with a fictional story that spans a century to create a sweeping novel of the American experience. Ryman focuses on the tragedy of his characters' lives to help us understand our collective need for a fairy land like OZ where love and kindness are the rule. Using carefully researched historical details Ryman builds a truly believable but sadly horrific story of a fictional Dorothy Gael of Kansas. Placing her in such accurate settings gives incredible power to her story and the stories of those her life inspires. Drawn into the vortex of her tragedy are a mixture of real and fictional characters including L. Frank Baum (the writer of the original Oz novels), the young Judy Garland, an actor with AIDS who is compelled to play the Scarecrow, and his psychotherapist who met the elderly Dorothy just before she dies. The story takes place in the 1870s, the 1920s, the 1950s, and the 1980s. Yet these disparate plots and eras are tied together wonderfully and all given a sense of reality based on the historic research that went into the book.

In a postscript called Reality Check at the end of the book the writer sorts out the historic from the fictional. Here he also talks a bit about the philosophy he has toward fantasy and realism, a theme that is constantly addressed throughout the novel. This is not about Oz, except as an ideal. The novel is about the tragedy of life, and it explores why the pain of our lives makes Oz so important to us all.

WAS explores the reality of Oz, what would have happened if Dorothy Gale was a real little girl in the Midwest left to be raised by her elderly aunt and uncle. Auntie Em does not like the daughter of her flashy prettier sister and sets her to work about the farm and kills her dog Toto. Uncle Henry is a child abuser who repeatedly rapes her. The only shining episode in her life is a brief stint of a substitute teacher, L. Frank Baum, who hears her tell her sorrowful life in a grief-stricken essay and decides to immortalize her in his book as a means of somehow making up to her what life has destroyed.

In parallel stories, Frances Gumm is transforming into Judy Garland, and the straitjackets that stardom in the early Golden Era has to offer --- diet pills, chest bindings, a strident stage mother.

And a gay man named Jonathan in the 1990s who has been obsessed with The Wizard of Oz since childhood searches for meaning in Kansas as he tracks the fate of the real Dorothy before AIDS claims him.

This is a captivating read that will stay with you long after you are finished. You will never look at "The Wizard of Oz" the same way again.

Geoff Ryman's Was is amazingly good. It tells the story of several trips down the Yellow Brick Road from the tale of the abused orphan, Dorothy Gael, in nineteenth century Kansas to Judy Garland making a movie of a life little Dorothy never had to Jonathan, dying of AIDS, returning to Kansas and his belief in Oz. All of these stories speak the truth about fantasy (if such a thing is possible) and the power of these other worlds to sustain, taunt, and guide us, particulary in childhood. There are many themes throughout this tangled and deliciously written narrative and it will touch any reader who has every felt the power of escape take hold of them as a child and whisk them away for just a little while, like Dorothy in the cyclone. A touching, beautiful tale that easily ranks in my eternal top ten. A book to be treasured and re-read over the years.

This is an entertaining dirt disher, but has no other merit. If you think that life in a Wall Street firm is really like this - these days, at any rate - think again. If you want a really salacious dirt disher, only well written - try Michael Lewis' Liars' Poker, on which the format of this book was surely based. FIASCO is a thoroughly inferior product.

Not only is it poorly written, it suffers from the fact that its author seems to have had very little understanding of what he was doing when employed at Morgan Stanley - this is apparent from simply reading his own explanations of the transactions. Mind you, this is no more than you'd expect from a junior associate who'd been on the derivatives desk for a very short period of time - investment banking is a difficult business (if it wasn't, people wouldn't get paid so much to do it) and it takes years to fully understand what is going on, let alone to get any good at it. And that's something this author never allowed himself the time to do. If he had (and was any good), my guess is he'd still be doing the job, rather than writing the kiss and tell expose.

Still this silly book sells - but maybe the writing's on the wall: right now, some clunker ex-Enron employee is probably writing the successor in line to FIASCO, only about Enron. With any luck, though, at least this time it'll be written with some style.

I found this a very useful introduction to derivatives on a practical level. The examples are illuminating and frightening at the same time. In comparison to "Liar's Poker" this book is more technical and not quite as hilarious. It doesn't bother people with the author's general socio-moral opinions (Mr. Lewis in "Liar's Poker" did go on about that "value" a person contributes to society) which I was thankful for. The only annoying part of the book is Mr. Partnoy's shameless exhibition of his own provincialism when he describes his excursion to Tokyo. He pesters the readers with details (and inaccuracies) on the earthquake-(non-)proofness of his hotel, the consumer price level in Japan, the impossibility to watch an American baseball game live on Japanese TV (now that's really too bad!) etc. etc. But this is only a small part of the book. All in all, recommended reading. Being a headhunter in the financial industry I learnt a great deal about the people who are my clients and candidates.

This book is a rarity in the financial world: blessed both with fascinating subject matter and a gifted author. Frank Partnoy takes the reader through his experience on Wall Street, most of which was spent in Morgan Stanley's nascent but lucrative derivatives group. Partnoy tells the story through the entertaining personalities of those he worked with, and his explanations of the derivatives transactions his firm sold in the latter half of the nineties gives a magnificent introduction to the basics of how derivatives work. Along the way, Partnoy amicably illustrates the global-economic oddities that predicated these derivatives transactions' creation, the contempt their creators had for those who would be buying them, and the oddities of a corporate world awash in money but barren of values. I enjoyed Partnoy's account wholeheartedly, and I consider it an instant member of the Liars Poker/When Genius Failed canon.

If there was ever a reason to read Daredevil, Frank Miller is it. While this book is only the very beginnings of Frank's writing career, it still sparks with brilliance. Frank Miller hit the scene back in the late 70's as one of the hottest new artists of the time. His first work that made people notice was on Daredevil. These issues were collected in Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Volume One, but as hot as his art was (for the time) it wouldn't be until he started writing that he would turn the comic industry upside down.

In 1980, Frank Miller wrote (and drew) his first issue of Daredevil at the same time introducing fans to what would become the most popular Daredevil character ever, Elektra. He gave Matt Murdock, the comic worlds most swinging bachelor, a love interest fans actually cared about and at the same time made her his most mortal enemy. Then he did the unthinkable (especially in Marvel comics); he killed her.

Frank Miller's early run on Daredevil in the early 80's continues to be a monumental milestone in the comics medium to this day. Certainly, the writing is not as well crafted or refined as what we would find in his later acheivements (Batman: Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, or any Sin City series), but that is to be expected. This is his first work, and on top of that, the 70's had only just ended.

But one fact remains. No one has ever done Daredevil better. Not before. Not since.

I am not a big Daredevil fan. I like the character but I have never been a hard core fan. But if Frank Miller was still doing the book I would definitely become a Daredevil diehard.

I picked the book up because I do have an appreciation of the work Miller has done with The Dark Knight Returns, and Batman: Year One. This artwork is some of his earliest and I do have to say some of his best. While at this point he had not taken over the writing duties of the book the stories are very good. Some good storytelling both in words and pictures.

I recomend this book to any comic fan as Frank Miller's art is too fantastic to be ignored. Two follow up volumes are already planned to get the rest of Miller's Dare Devil work out, but you need to start with this book. Amazing crime art is Miller's niche in the comic world and this is has it all. A real sense of realism was brought to the world of Daredevil and Matt Murdock thanks to Miller.

I know it seems like a bit of a stretch calling anything the best trade paper back of all time, but trust me this is truly the number one. Anyone who is at all interested in the Daredevil comics should read this. It truly shows the quality of Frank Miller's creations. To the re-birth of the Kingpin, from where in Spiderman, he was a bumbling crime lord, to Daredevil and Frank Miller, where he was THE crime lord! Bullseye, the creation of the mad man with a will to do whatever it takes to take down ol' hornhead. To the death of Elecktra, which is truly one of the most beautifully written pieces in comic book history. The chracter building of Daredevil in dealing with all of this ranks up there with some of the greatest pieces of literature ever written. With the upcoming movie of the Daredevil, it would be a travesty is the movie was not based on this collection of comics. Please read if your fan, please read if your interested, you will no be dissapointed.

I don't believe in reincarnation, but this wonderful book leaves me wondering, maybe... Mr. Barnes' account fills in many of the details that history seems to have left out. I realize now how hard Thomas Andrews worked to build Titanic and Olympic with proper safeguards and enough lifeboats. Knowing that the Mersey Commission blamed him pothumously for poor design, despite the fact that he was overruled on every safeguard issue by White Star, makes me empathize with a soul so troubled, that it must come back to tell the real truth. The emotion in Mr. Barnes/Thomas Andrews' voice in the regression clips is sincere and poignant. I don't think an actor could do that. This is why I believe Mr. Barnes. This is why I'm left wondering about reincarnation. But whether he was reincarnated or not, Mr. Barnes' courageous retelling of this story,should help the spirit of Thomas Andrews find rest.

This was one of the most amazing stories I have heard about from the Titanic. It answers many of the questions that have been asked in the past.For example many people have often wondered what happen to Thomas Andrews the ships builder.I will not not give away the answer but instead I will tell you that the situation was unlike anything you have seen in a movie. I would greatly recommend this book as well as A Night to Remember. Both books give vital information on the sinking of the Titanic.If you have any interest in the Titanic, than this book a must read book.

This audiobook is truly absorbing and captivating. The first time I listened to it, I was doing some household chores and put it on as background "noise". But I soon realized that I had to stop what I was doing and replay the entire story from its very beginning. It really makes you feel like you are there, especially at the moment of Thomas Andrews' death and the sinking of the ship. I highly recommend the book to any Titanic enthusiast as well as anyone interested in a well-narrated story.