Unstrung Heroes is one of the most touching and simutaneously disturbing books I've read in quite a while. In an unforgettable series of memoirs, Lidz succeeds in retelling the astonishing events of his life in an affecting and heartfelt manner. Somehow, through all of this, he keeps you rolling on the floor in laughter.

Franz Lidz has written an absolutely brilliant, intelligent, sensitive, meticulous and - yes - affectionate memoir. Best of all, this book enriches our understanding of the strange, wonderful, richly complex men who were his father and uncles.

Franz Lidz's life is like a painting, some parts sad and lonley, sometimes happy and exciting! I have never heard of a book so truly moving. If you read this book Iam sure you will be crying the whole way. Sometimes crying from laufter, sometimes with sadness.

I've got a lot of BBQ books, maybe 40 or 50, and I would have to say this one has moved to the top of my list! Its got it all over the others. This book has "the vibe" its got soul, funk, rock and roll and some of the best damn barbecue recipes you'll ever come across. I'll have to settle for having to recreate the recipes as I am nowhere near this juke joint (but I am putting it on my BBQ Mecca list!)but just flipping thru the pages of this gaw-jus book I get a feeling like I can hear the music, smell the 'que and meet the characters that inhabit this place. Who says Dinosaurs are extinct! Chow time! Get cookin' get smokin! This is one 'Saur that Roars!

The Dinosaur is probably my favorite restaurant. Unfortunately, I don't live in Syracuse anymore, so I can't always feed the need for their fabulous food. I just got their cookbook, and have had the chance to try only one recipe - the cajun corn. It was dead-to-rights just like what they serve at the Dino. If that's any indication of how close the recipes are to the real thing, I can't wait to try more recipes! This book also offers terrific tips to grillers. If you know someone who loves to grill, this is a great book for them!

I bought Dinosaur's book not expecting much, given that it's "just" BBQ (forgive me) and that it's a restaurant cookbook (since books by professional chefs are often not feasible for home cooks to use, or else poorly written/edited/tested). I purchased it mostly because I'd been to the Syracuse restaurant, had a great time, and figured this book made a nice "souvenir" if nothing else. What a pleasant surprise: I've tried at least a dozen of the recipes (many more than once -- the real sign of a great cookbook) and all of them turned out wonderfully. And I'm not just talking BBQ -- I've made seafood, stews and braises, vegetables, and desserts from this book too. It's fun to read, and the instructions/layout are clear and comprehensive. A worthwhile purchase even for those who have never heard of the Dinosaur and have never set foot upstate.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a riveting novel by the "least famous" Bronte sister Anne. The main character is Helen Huntingdon, who also uses the assumed name Helen Graham for part of the book.

Narrated in part by Mr. Markham, the gentleman farmer who falls in love with her, and partly by herself in diary form, the Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a sad portrayal of the miseries Helen Huntingdon endures at the hands of an immature self-centered husband.

The story starts out with Helen, an intriguing beautiful "widow" who comes to live in a deserted moorland mansion called Wildfell Hall with no one but her maid and young son as companions. She excites the gossip of the local townspeople by her refusal to mingle in the town's social life, her strong opinions on the upbringing of her 5 year old son, and by working to support herself as a landscape painter. Mr. Markham, the gentleman farmer, rather than being repelled by her fiercely guarded independence is intrigued by her and determines to learn more about her, falling in love with her in the process. Helen becomes the butt of sinister gossip when it is discovered that she and Mr. Lawrence, her landlord, are not the strangers to each other that they pretend to be in public, and it is rumored that something is going on between them romantically.

It is in response to this falsehood that she turns over her diary to Mr. Markham, who at last learns within its contents her true identity, why she is at Wildfell, and why she can not marry him. He also learns the astonishing identity of Mr. Lawrence. Helen's diary traces her life from a naive girl of 18 to a courageous woman of 26, and the sorrow and trials she endures in her marriage to a wretch of a husband, the womanizing, alcoholic Arthur Huntingdon.

Anne Bronte, the most underappreciated of the Bronte sisters, is a brilliantly talented author and storyteller. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a masterpiece of romance, suspense and simply a darned good read! Helen Huntingdon and Gilbert Markham are multi-dimensional characters. Bronte descriptions of the setting are moving as well. I can't say enough about this book, yet mere words don't do it justice. If you loved Jane Eyre (which I did), than the Tenant will be a novel you hold in high esteem. Read it, and then read it again. Enjoy!!

'Sick of mankind and its disgusting ways' Anne Bronte once scribbled on the back of her prayer book. Her evident harsh view of life, coupled with her moral strength as a woman, are beautifully interwoven to produce this novel; her masterpiece. Although never enjoying the popularity and success of 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wuthering Heights' - her sisters' books - 'Wildfell Hall' is quite fit to join any bookshelf of classic English literature. The themes include utter despair and the tragic consequences of a young woman's naivety; Helen felt that, although she could see Arthur's faults, she would be able to somehow change him once they were married. In reality, her marital experience was a disaster.

Anne Bronte creates a world in which the drunken, immoral behaviour of men becomes the norm and this may have been startling to contemporary readers - perhaps a reason for the book's panning at the critics. The narrative is built up delicately; first Gilbert; and then the racier, more gripping diary of Helen as she guides us through her married life; before returning again to Gilbert, whose tale by this time has become far more exciting as we know of Helen's past. Helen's realisation of the awful truth and her desperate attempts to escape her husband, are forever imprinted in the mind of the reader as passages of perfect prose.

One of the earliest feminist novels, the underrated Anne Bronte writes in this a classic, and - defying the views of her early (male) critics - a claim to the position of one of England's finest ever female writers.

The artwork in Amphigorey is absolutely amazing. The style is reminiscent of a very old cartoon. Every single frame of each story is so detailed, and the lines are so intricate and precise, it's as if Gorey spent days on each drawing.

The stories which are illustrated by these drawings are very creepy. Many of the stories are incredibly pointless. Some of them end awfully, others don't really end at all. Some aren't stories, but rather collections of poems with a title. At times, things get quite disgusting. For example, in one set of alphabetical poems entitled "The Fatal Lozenge," the last poem goes like this:

The ZOUAVE used to war and battle
Would sooner take a life than not:
It scarcely has begun to prattle
When he impales a hapless tot.

This is accompanied by an illustration of a baby pinned through its abdomen with a sword and blood dripping down. But no matter what, everything in this collection is interesting and unique. This book is at no time dull or boring. Plus, it makes a great conversation piece. I love showing people my Amphigorey book! Most people have never heard of Edward Gorey and are entirely surprised that such a bizarre book even exists.

In any case, if you don't already have it, you should definitely get this book! It's such a great thing to have around the house, you'll never regret owning it!

I was introduced to this book by a friend of mine whose sense of humor is almost as twisted as that of Gorey himself. He delighted in sharing with me "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" (in which small children meet their doom in alphabetical order) and "The Curious Sofa: a pornographic tale" (in which Gorey lays sexual innuendo so thick that it becomes absurd and absolutely hilarious). After wresting the book from the aforementioned friend's hands, I read the rest of it. To my delight I found morbid limericks and quatrains, stories apparently composed of random sentences, and tales of tales of mishap and tragedy--each accompanied by illustrations in Gorey's macabre style. I would recommend this collection to anyone who has outgrown Dr. Seuss but still wants to look at the pictures.

An incautions young lady named Venn
Was seen with the wrong sort of men
She vanished one day
But the following May
Her legs were retreived from a Fen

This book is GORGEOUS. I first discovered it while hanging about at a Christmas party at the house of a pair of my uncle's co-workers. I didn't know any of the guests, so I looked around the house and discovered the host's collection of antique books, Amphigorey among them. When the lord of the household found me sitting in his rocking chair and reading, he graciously invited me to borrow the volume, which I did. How grateful I am!

Edward Gorey is the Renee Magritte of literature. I have always loved bizarre, vague, puzzling works, and Amphigorey is delightfully, bitterly twisted. The characters are so spectral. On each page I see... not nightmares, but dark dreams surfacing. This wild, enchanting book ranks alongside William J. Meyer's comic book saga, White Bread, as one of my favorite "what the hell is going on" works of literature.

Within the borrowed volume I read, I discovered an artifact that may be of immense value. It was a printed invitation decorated by a copy of Edward Gorey's drawing of the Gashlycrumb Tinies and their Grim Reaper nanny. In Gorey's handwriting, the invitation gave the names of two gentlemen and continued "...and the Gashlycrumb Tinies demand your presence at their home at 8:00 pm on ALL HALLOWS EVEN [that's not a typo], 1975." The invitation announced a costume contest and gave an address and phone number. Ah, to have attended Mr. Gorey's celebration! He is surely the master of Halloween.

First book I've ever read that I feel compelled to recommend as a MUST READ for everyone. It's extremely eye-opening (at least to this reader) on the subjects of physical limits, our relationship to our physical selves, and even the meaning of life. You don't need a spinal-cord injury to appreciate Hockenberry's perspective on friends, family, work, American society, or journalism. This book is intelligent, reflective, funny, tragic, introspective, and, as far as I can tell, brutally honest. When John Hockenberry is the lens, the photo is exquisite

Like it or not, everyone who lives long enough is sooner or later going to become disabled. Read about it here and now from a brilliant writer and extraordinary person. Mr. Hockenberry covers every aspect of disability, from sensitive descriptions of his feelings about his body, to the horrendous insensitivity with which many so-called able-bodied folk react to him, to vital discussions about the social injustices perpetrated on disabled people at every turn. All this and more is woven into a tale about the amazing world of a courageous, iconoclastic, humorous, and outrageous individual who lives a very exciting life. Thanks, John, for one terrific read, with a hundred or more important messages for all of us.

Hockenberry doesn't really need more people to tell him how good his book is. However, he does need a person considered to have a disability (Deaf) to tell him--Great JOB! And to recommend to all those undergoing the process of learning to deal with a disability and grieving over loss of abilities, to read this book. It will help significantly. He learned in a shorter period of time, and had a significantly better outlook on his new disablement. He also brings up the fact that sometimes the obstacles placed in our way are of our own making. The Americans with Disabilities Act is not going to solve all of our problems...and as a country we are lucky to have it. But many of those problems won't be fixed until we the Deaf and the disabled get off our collective butts (excuse the pun) and do something about it. This means becoming active politically and otherwise. Mr. Hockenberry needs to write a followup since his career has gone in different routes now...and we see him more often on television. How has this newfound fame added or detracted from his life? I didn't always agree with him...I too have worked with mentally disabled adults, and sometimes found his attitude shocking, though I think he was merely very young at the time. But I am recommending this book to my students, to people I work with who are disabled, to my computer group (the SayWhatClub--we all say 'what') and anyone else I can think of. Ok Mr. Hockenberry, get busy writing the sequel! Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

Kafka's short stories are amazing. Few authors really harness tragedy like he does. Take "The Penal Colony" for instance. Kafka invents an ultimate devise of capital punishment, making it vile and disgusting, but coaxing the reader to almost rationalize the purpose of it's existence. As you finish the story though, you realize that it's not about an inhumane killing devise, but instead one man's obsession with it, and it's historical purposes. In a sense the story is a bad-mouthed eulogy of that man.

One of Kafka's biggest achievements is his ability to have the reader sympathize with the "bad guy". Few authors can really get a reader emotionally involved with the book.

So take home this book and sit in an under-lighted room as you read it, but be prepared. Soon you will find yourself lost within the words of Franz Kafka.

Kafka can be a difficult figure to approach for some. His presence looms for some readers as foreboding as that strange unapproachable structure in The Castle looms for the character in that book. One way to get around this is to learn a little about Kafka's own life, especially his relationship with his father. And also to learn that his economical & concise way with language he learned as a student of law and his fascination to the point of paranoia with bureaucracies of various kinds he may have picked up in his career as an office worker in an insurance company. Kafka may never become all together human to some readers. To those who share his particular temperament, however, he will seem very human and become a favorite though a kind of quiet one that lurks in the fringes of your bookcase. These stories are a great introduction. Though they are all prose works in some cases they seem to possess qualities more often seen in parables than in twentieth-century prose ie: use of symbols & layers of possible meanings being more evocative(though sparse) than specific. His work is certainly pessimistic, his landscapes are oblique, and chances are you will have your own way of looking at Kafka the more you read(and there are a vast array of ways to interpret his work). One interesting reader, Jean Paul Sartre, characterized Kafka's work as "the impossibility of transcendence". His exaggerated worlds(Swift was one of his own favorite authors) do provide interesting glimpses into that very often written about terrain alienation but few have ever delved into it so deeply. After Kafka you may be lead down one of the more interesting paths in the history of literature which includes Nabokov, Borges, Cortazar, Calvino and many many others.

Kafka was perhaps the greatest writer ever to live and this volume shows it. Every story, even every sketch of an idea that Kafka wrote down comes filled with brilliant emotions and deep meaning conveyed through simple and serious language. Shakespeare has none of the lyrical abilities of Kafka, and Homer could only dream of equaling Kafka's mastery of plot. Kafka out-psychoanalyzed Freud, and wrote circles around Joyce. His stories seem modern even by today's standards, the things that haven't come true yet in his works I believe will eventually, while I don't believe him to be a prophet he certainly had a great understanding of humankind and knew where it was headed.

"A Country Doctor" is in my opinion the greatest short story ever written, a dark dream sequence with all kinds of slimy worms writhing beneath the surreal surface plot, sticking out through the rotted boards that Kafka puts down to allow us to see what we're standing over. "The Judgement," a purely perfect work of psychology, Kafka dipping deeper and hitting more nerves than in any of his other stories, giving us a picture of what it's like to be a genius controlled by a domineering, and a nonunderstanding father. And of course there are the smaller works from "Meditations," little snippets of images that flash through the mind, a kind of literary whispering in the ear while sitting in the dark. "The Burrow," another favorite, perhaps the most claustrophobic work of fiction ever conceived, the darkness of the tunnel affecting your mind for days.

Read this book, in it the greatest treasure a writer ever gave us shines, a golden nugget, hidden deep within a dark pool that seems unswimable. Take the swim, and I garantee that you will find the nugget. Ignoring Kafka is like denying yourself the best there is.

This book covers a cross section of subjects. While I think the father intended it's focus to be about his relationship with his son, the son's in-depth narrative of boot camp and his transformation into a Marine were much more touching to me.

As to the father-son relationship, this is the tale of a loving father who is losing his son as he grows to a man. And this really starts before he enters the Marines as he becomes more attached to a girl of whom the father does not approve...When the son John enters boot camp, the real excitement starts as you live through the experience with him. The brainwashing of these recruits seems extreme until you watch these recruits grow into the type Marines the DIs wanted. I'm not sure I could survive the mental and physical effects of boot camp and anyone who has passed boot camp is to be commended. It's interesting to watch these guys struggle the last few weeks with injuries that should be treated but would only delay the recruit's training.

After boot camp, the book then shows the negative of the military. This motivated recruit is sent for Morse Code training for 4 months only to be sidelined for over a year, as his security clearance has not been processed in Washington. What a waste of taxpayer money and young people's lives. But even this demeaning treatment does not shake the extreme pride in the Corp.

Probably the most important lesson of this book is how a son from an upper-middle class family chooses a career in the Marines while suffering the ridicule of the liberal friends of his parents and how his father's attitude changes about this. I felt this could have been covered in more depth. More importantly, this recruit bonds with the fully integrated Marines and learns to share many experiences with most other recruits less fortunate.

I strongly recommend this book to learn more of one of our greatest natural resources, the men and women who choose to serve in the military. The most heart-wrenching part of this book is seeing the stories of Marines with families who qualify for food stamps. People, something is not right with that concept

Frank! Thank you. My son became a Marine last May 10th and reading Frank and John's book brought it all back to me (from my side of the story). I haven't laughed out loud reading a book in years. Frank touches every concern, fear, regret, and revelation I went through. The way we treat our military, the reasons why the Marine Corps is so attractive to young people, why Marines love their Corps and each other. I was especially impressed with his observations about the people who showed up for graduation. On my video tape I made of my son's graduation you can hear me say, "Now this is real American diversity in action. Look at all these different types of Americans!" I was proud and humbled of my son and the other sons that marched before us. I thank God we have the Marine Corps and that our sons are part of it. Frank and John have shown a way for us citizens to understand what a precious thing we have in our children and our Nation. Again, my thanks to Frank and John for sharing this great experience with the Nation our children protect.

When I finished reading this book I was fighting a lump in my throat, tears welling in my eyes, and a heart bursting with pride

Maybe it's the old Marine in me; I became one 61 years ago, and like everyone who has ever worn the Eagle, globe and anchor emblem, I am still one. I felt so proud for John, the son, and his accomplishments. He appears to be the "Classic" Marine!

The book made me feel good about John's whole family whose loyalty and love made his early ordeals at Parris Island less burdensome. And Frank's role as Father couldn't have been handled better even if pre-scripted.

Marines everywhere and "wannabees" will love this story.

I truly enjoyed this book. It is just chock full of ideas about bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerwalking, good nutrition and just plain living. Try the Steve Reeves power drink. The only problem I have with the book is that Steve Reeves suggests doing over twenty exercises per day three days per week. I don't know how many weeks a year he normally worked out but he admits that many years when making movies he only worked out maybe three months a year. This regimen works without breaking you down for three months maybe, but surely not twelve months a year for many years. In several places in the book it is insinuated that Steve did not always work out like perhaps he should. According to him he never had trouble maintaining muscle mass because of his lifestyle. So he slacked sometimes. As a result he probably did not overtrain much. This agrees with my personal experience also. The pictures of Steve when he was sixteen show that he developed similar to Arnold just packing on the pecs and lats in virtually a single year. It is too bad more do not follow the simple principles in this book. Try his squat routine: work up to squating half your bodyweight 100 times. That is my eventual goal and I am interested in what happens to my body in the meantime. Some of the exercises may be a little old but they will still work.

Steve Reeves was unequaled in physique. No one had better symetry, lines, shape and proportion. This book shows you how you can develop a aesthetically pleasing physique that can win titles and look good to the general public. Reeves shows how to develop a balanced, shapely physique. What bodyparts to emphasize and which to minimize. Bring out a v-taper and make gains f-a-s-t.I enjoyed the chapter on powerwalking. Much easier pn the body than running. I started doing incline curls the Reeves way and not only got the best pump in my bi's, but added 1/2 inch in arm girth in three weeks with notable shape improvement.Some of these old, forgotten exercises like the zottman curl and hammer tricep presses are OUTSTANDING!Will there ever be another Reeves? I believe that there is a billion to one chance of that. Reeves was truly one of a kind. And he has something worthwile to say in this book. Get it, read it and use it for some really sensational gains.

So much hoopla out there about how to train. Steve Reeves clears the air and offers a sensible program to achieve a natural, classic symetrical physique. Reeves went from nothing to Mr America in five years while spending four years in the Army. If you discount the time spent in the Army, Reeves actual training time was more like months, not years. One year later he won Mr America. Next year he won Mr World and two years later, after a year layoff and training for only 7 weeks, beat the great Reg Park for the 1950 Mr Universe. Whats my point? Obviously this guy knew something about training and all it's all in this book. At his peak, Reeves was arguably the best of his time and his only losses were shrouded with controversy. He had better lines than Zane and was bigger and more symetrical (no 16-inch arms and calves here) Reeves had a incredible V-shape and huge calves. He was the best proportioned, most perfectly developed bodybuilder of all time. Had he been born 20 years later and had the advantage of pharmaceuticals, advanced food supplements and equipment, he probably would have mopped the floor with Arnold, Sergio and spaghetti-biceps/calves Frank Zane and the drug freaks thatfollowed.. The book is a must read for anyone who wants natural gains and look their best. Sorry to hear about Reeves passing last spring. He was the original icon of bodybuilding and so many of us owe our beginnings in this sport to this great star.

Most people are familiar with the story of Zorro, bland Caballero by day, masked rogue by night. This book, a reprint of the 1919 serial, is the genesis of many movies, several TV shows, and numerous other Zorro stories by McCulley. While not a great book, it provides a few hours of diversion.

The story revolves around a trio of suitors for Lolita: Diego Vega, spiritless heir to the largest fortune in California, Captain Ramon, commandant of the presideo, who is not above blackmail and deceit to achieve his aims, and Zorro, the masked rogue who defends the mistreated and downtrodden. The plot is predicatably familiar and McCulley demonstrates only an adequate writing style. That "The Curse of Capistrano" (only later retitled "The Mark of Zorro") achieved success is due to McCulley's blending of a spirited heroine, a dashing, daring hero, the timeless story of good versus evil, and some dashes of humor. The book also contains a fourteen page forward discussing the book from a historical perspective. I found this informative and a worthwhile addition.

While not as good as similar books, for example "The Scarlet Pimpernal", it is still an enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon. Shhh, shhh, shhh.

I wonder if Johnston McCulley had any idea what he was starting when he first wrote THE CURSE OF CAPISTRANO, as the story was titled when it was first published as a serial in a pulp magazine. Had it not been for Douglas Fairbanks, it would probably have ended with that one novel. I'm glad it turned out differently, as the Zorro legend has become such an ingrained part of our culture and sparked so many more stories, as well as movies and TV series! Don Diego Vega is a lifeless, spineless wimp--or so he would have the world believe. He won't engage in duels, won't romance pretty young ladies, won't engage in any of the activities expected of young gentlemen of that era. He only courts Lolita Pulido because his father has ordered him to get himself a wife, and even then, he does it in such a lifeless manner that Lolita can't stand him. All the while, however, he leads a double life that nobody knows about. At night, he dons a mask and costume, and calls himself Zorro (fox). As Zorro, he is everything Don Diego is not. He duels with soldiers and laughs as he does so. He romances Lolita in a passionate, yet gentlemanly manner, and defends her honor with a wicked captain. He persuades a group of young caballeros to stand up to tyranny, which in the end saves his life and Lolita's. THE MARK OF ZORRO is an exciting, adventure-filled, romantic novel. I recommend it to everyone.

Many people have seen "The Mask of Zorro" starring Antonio Banderas. Even more are familiar with Guy Williams' 1957-59 portrayal of the legendary hero, or even Duncan Regehr's series in the early 1990s. But very few have, unfortunately, ever read the book that started it all, "The Mark of Zorro", originally entitled "The Curse of Capistrano" in its initial 1919 release. This is such a shame. Few Zorro stories of today -- excepting some fan fiction -- can rival the genius in Johnston McCulley's work(s). His Zorro is the ultimate adventurer.

Zorro's best-kept secret is the fact that there wasn't *one* Zorro story written by Johnston McCulley -- there were sixty! A wonderful new company is currently in production of republishing every one of these classic stories. I've read some of them; they're every bit as good as "Mark". Truly "must-reads". Miss them at your own expense.