I can't help but think that James W. Hall was wronged and wounded way back when and uses that pain to fill the souls of his characters (especially Thorne) with enough angst and weltschmerz to overflow the banks of Lake Okeechobee. This particular adventure was too heavily laden with suspense-impeding character histories. I really didn't care about how the mad doctor lost his legs in Viet Nam and certainly didn't need to know about Pepper's love affair with her father. Further, these extra tidbits come at points in the novel when the reader wants the plot to resolve itself, to keep the pace flowing as fast as the speedboats the characters are chasing each other in, not to slow it down. And as much as Hall's antagonists are fun to hate, relishing each one's well deserved demise as they happen, this time around the gruesome comic book style deaths were too much. This novel reminded me of the martial arts action pictures of the 1970s - ludicrous storyline, loads of gratuitous gore and half-assed existentialism posing as philosophical profundity.

James hall is far and away my favorite crime novelist. He's never written a book I have not loved. Even his weakest efforts are superior - his poetic prose and vivid images, his quirky and inspired characters, his odd and exciting plots. This is a step back, to a smaller and more personal setting, in which Thorn, Hall's protagonist, has a reason to be where he is (Unlike Hall's last two novels, _Buzz Cut_ and _Mean High Tide_, in which the connection was just a bit forced). This is a good thing. Thorn is like a force of nature, and is used to best advantage in stories like this, in which he's drug, unwilling, into heroism by his anger and his sense or right and wrong. This novel uses the character's nature to advantage, as did Hall's first two novels. For Hall fans, this should be a hugely satisfying book.

Pain. There is no more lively sensation than that of pain; its impressions are certain and dependable. Marquis de Sade (1740-1814)

What a riveting book! This is my first James W. Hall novel and it I loved it. His strong, bold, vivid characters, often border on the audacious and bizarre. In "Red Sky at Night" Hall pulls you into worlds of paralysis, paraplegics and pain. And as Marquis de Sade said "there is no more lively sensation than that of pain". The Key West setting combined with the madness, murders, mayhem and macabre characters, makes this book a top ratebeach read. Strongly Recommended

James Bond enters the eighties in "License Renewed", John Gardner's first Bond book. Although Gardner's novels have had a fair share of criticism, "License Renewed" is a good read and fairly exciting, as Bond goes up against a madman who also happens to be a nuclear physicist. Although not a perfect book (the requisite Bond girl is a little bland), it is a good one, and a wonderful way to pass the time while waiting for the next James Bond movie to come out.

I love this aabook. they need to make it a movie.

This book ranks high and even higher than some Ian Fleming novels. 007 battles the Laird of Murcaldy with the help of his girl and Q'ute. A novel that can't be missed. John Gardner succeeded with this book.

I want to buy the book for my elementary art class and I can't find anywhere in the descriptions if they are the same size as the origionals.

For the grump who gave this book a one-star rating (it deserves a six-star rating!), the dimensions of this oversized book are 10 1/2 X 14 1/2 inches.

Drool over the watercolours and then imagine the work that went into creating them. All yours for a fraction of the cost of the originals. A steal!

This book contains the complete collection of the 435 illustrations from Audubon's famous Havell edition "Double Elephant Folio" of "Birds of America." It took 12 years, from 1826 to 1838, for Robert Havell, a 19th century London engraver, working from Audubon's detailed watercolors, to finish the project, and when it was done, the collection of 435 engravings was sold to subscribers. Today the Havell engravings are worth small fortunes individually, and it is the lucky museum or library that can boast of having a complete, original portfolio. But here in this single book, Audubon's beautiful, powerful, and extraordinarily detailed paintings can be seen by anyone interested in natural history, American romantic painting, ornithology, bird watching, etc. Audubon is one of America's most important artists and naturalists, and this book is an excellent way to get better acquainted with John James Audubon's masterpiece, "Birds of America."

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the tale of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism arises almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used, and over-used, today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn -- until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have, in Cooper's own words, seen the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. If you give this book a chance and bear with some of the heavy nineteenth century prose, it will prove out in the end. An exciting and worthwhile read.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's own words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. -- Stuart W. Mirsky (mirsky@ix.netcom.com

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this particular novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which was to become the archetypical protagonist of the American western. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. The book is a bit short on characterization and plotting and the prose is heavy for modern tastes, but the action is richly visualized in the flow of the narrative and the images are compelling. In the end, despite its flaws, this book of Cooper's is, in fact, the classic we have been told it is. -- S. W. Mirsky

This seems like the perfect topic for the times. The cover is catchy, the writer excels at making seemingly abstract topics topical (Chaos is superb) and he's gives great NPR. The first chapter or two, which I read before buying the book, was mesmerizing. That made my disappointment with Faster all the greater.

Gleick writes a series of great short newspaper-length stories, binds them together and calls it a book. To be sure, there is a bevy of fascinating factoids here. But Gleick never really creates a thesis and never really advances any particular argument. Some of the scenes he paints are memorable, but nothing really holds them together as a book. I tried to overcome that by reading a chapter a day on the subway and not even that worked. It's almost like he's trying to write a "fast" book that the reader can zip through. Well, in that area he succeeds, but in so doing he fails to move the book in any particular direction.

Gleick is a well-known writer with a good track record. I'm sure sales of this book have been good. But I hope that doesn't stop someone else from tackling a similar subject.

If so, don't read this book. No wait, on second thought you probably should *force* yourself to read this book. It would likely do you some good. While definitely dry in spots, Faster makes several important assertions about life in the modern age and the effects it can have on us.

Looking for reasons why the people around you seem so spacey and disconnected at times? Read this book...

Seeking an answer to the question "Why do I have less and less time every year, despite a proliferation of "time-saving" devices in my life?" Read this book....

Want to understand why there is so much angst and aggression on the highways, city sidewalks and aircraft cabins of the world? Read this book....

I'm not telling you Gleick is a master pyschologist, but I am telling you he has some very interesting observations to make - observations that should be summarized on the editorial page of every newspaper in America so they can be discussed at large. Some of the insights made may not be very popular with the jet-set, but the truth hurts sometimes.

This a good book when all is said and done. If you have the attention span of a chipmunk on No-Doze, you won't like it. Otherwise give it a shot....

Our lives have speeded up, a phenomena that affects both individuals and society according to author James Gleick. He describes examples of speed's impact in chapters that read like separate essays on different aspects of life. He covers the acceleration in machines, in books, in advertising, in attention span and so on. Ironically, his book is written in a very leisurely, reflective, pop-sociology or pop-history style that takes its time in exploring different historical developments leading to the speed up of life today. This is an observation, not a criticism, since we at getAbstract.com find that his book provides an engaging, compelling look at these changes in society. While many of these changes - such as the explosion of new technologies over the last ten years - will seem very familiar, Gleick's broad view of these developments offers executives, managers and general readers a new context for understanding them, if you can slow down long enough to read it.

After reading Ian Fleming's Bond Books and Raymond Benson's novelizations of the movies, this almost top it all. SPECTRE is brought back into play after almost 30 years of absence. Gardner does an exquisite job of re-creating Ian Fleming's style. Plus a great twist at the ending. This should be a movie.
The only problem was the SAAB, who drives a Saab?

"For Special Services", John Gardner's second James Bond novel, improves on the first as he builds a tale of mystery and almost constant suspense. This time, Bond is teamed with Felix Leiter's daughter Cedar to find out more about the return of SPECTRE. More fleshed-out villains, a great Bond girl (who Bond can't go after due to her father), and exciting, suspenseful writing make one realize how underrated Gardner's books are. One of his best.

This book is without a doubt Gardner's finest work. SPECTRE has returned under the leadership of Nena Blofeld. Markus Bismaquer is a formidable villian and Cedar Leiter shines as a bond girl. What can anyone find wrong with this book? It is a masterpiece!

Why do most of John Gardner's James Bond novels seem like screenplays? I think that is what was always missing from his writings. Because they were similar to screenplays they read like movie scripts, not novels. It just leaves the reader so uninvolved. Detail and flavor for the settings are always noticeably absent from his Bond novels. This one is no exception. I suppose we all lose!

Like the other reviewers here, I don't much care for John Gardner's James Bond novels. Gardner just doesn't seem to be in touch with Ian Fleming's classic character or the special world Fleming created for him. The only reason I am reading Gardner's Bonds is that I want to read those by Raymond Benson...

However, although it gets off to a slow start, I would have to say that (so far) "Win, Lose or Die" is arguably a highlight of the Gardner books. It is also the only one that I feel could actually work as a Bond film. The characters are a bit more respectable than most of Gardner's creations, especially his usual cookie-cutter villains. The book also carries some of the wonderful, sinister, almost supernatural imagery that Fleming was so fond of, portraying Bond and the other characters as players in a strange spiritual plane that seems to stretch beyond Earthly bonds.

Now, if only Gardner could have learned to do away with all those...one-liners he has Bond spout after he does something. This is supposed to be Fleming's Bond, not Roger Moore's. Furthermore, the book continues to slip with the horrid scenes in which Bond interacts with M and Bill Tanner. In Fleming's books, M was a man of few words, and when he said something, it was to the point and deadly serious. Unfortunately, Gardner again sinks to the level of having Bond and M trade barbs, if you will. Fleming's Bond would NEVER smart off to his boss the way Gardner's does.

However, once you get past the tepid first third of the novel, the narrative really picks up. This book actually has enough high points to outweigh the low points. The section where Bond is used as bait at the Italian villa is almost up to Fleming's speed. And the climax aboard the hijacked carrier is absolutely spellbinding.

"Win, Lose or Die" is one of the few Gardner Bonds that those of us "Fleming purists" can get through without rolling our eyes darn near every page.

This novel has screenplay written on it. It is fairly simple and would translate to the screen well. Good as a started Bond book for the casual suspense reader.

I havent read any of gardner's books. but from what i hear leming rules all bond novels. I say stick with fleming forget gardner. Benson's allright.

This was the first John Gardner 007 book that I read. I really enjoy James Bond stories and movies as well. However, in the books and movies that I have seen, James Bond was more of a ladies man and was free from commitment. In this book, James is pretty much tied down and very much in love with one woman. This was something that I did not particuarly agree with, coming to know James Bond as a bachelor is how I would much rather keep it. Neverheless, I did enjoy reading this book and getting into the story.

I thought this was one of the best Bond books I have read in a while! It is a little boring at the beginning for about two chapters, but it gets a lot better after that. I could not stop reading it at the end, because it is so EXCITING! Other people say John Gardner doesn't write very good books, but a disagree. This book is very good, and I recommend it to people that like action packed James Bond novels!

This was my first experience with the "modern' James Bond. I strongly suspect that the only people who like Gardner (or Benson) are the ones who have never read Fleming. This one dimensional book had a weak villian, the 2 key plot elements had no apparent connection, and an uncharacteristically dumb action by Bond which led to the deaths of 2 allies. This last was only a plot device to prolong the novel. And Bond falling in love with some incompetent woman he just me, get real. This Bond is just a poor copy. At least the movies are fun.

Ian Fleming's James Bond is the gold standard. To me, From Russia with Love is the finest novel in that distinguished, exciting series. But Fleming is gone, and we are fortunate to have John Gardner to continue the stories for us.

Gardner's stories suffer from two basic weaknesses: He doesn't have the full range of Cold War enemies to work with and his doesn't have the same hard edge to his characters and writing.

Death is Forever veers back toward the Fleming books by involving Wolfgang Weisen, onetime director of East Germany's Security Service. He makes for a truly fascinating villain. Fleming would have made him even more fascinating, but you will enjoy him and his plot to destabilize the West. Although the Cold War is over in this book, Gardner finds a way to create an extension of the Cold War. That is good for all of us readers.

In all other ways, the book is a typical Gardner offering -- serviceable plot and relentless Bond.

If you have a choice between reading a Fleming novel and a Gardner one, you should always read a Fleming one first. If you have read and liked all of the Fleming books, you will be pleased with this Gardner offering. Enjoy!

I'm not a "die-hard Bond fanatic" but I've seen the movies and read some of the novels, and after reading some of the other comments, mostly negative, about Gardner and his novels I thought I'd set down some thoughts on DEATH IS FOREVER. For me Gardner is as close as anyone's ever gotten to Fleming and not that far behind. DEATH IS FOREVER was an enthralling novel and the best Gardner I have read (with SCORPIUS a close second). Gardner's Bond, like Fleming's, is not a super-hero with rocket-boats and submarine cars never at a loss for humorous one-liners every time he kills a guy. He's a flesh-and-blood human being as vulnerable as anyone else who survives by using his head. Of all the movies, the two that are most faithful to Fleming's original conception of the Bond character are "From Russia with Love" and "Licence to Kill." In my opinion, needless to say, the two best Bond films. And this is the Bond of DEATH IS FOREVER and the Gardner novel series. As for the Benson novels, I've never understood why the head of the James Bond fan club was chosen to succeed Gardner as Bond writer and not an actual published novelist.

In my opinion, this was a good novel. You are a bit confused at the beginning, but you start to understand it by maybe the third chapter. Although I don't like what happened to Phineas at the end, it was an element that really gave the book reality; every book can't end with "...and they lived happily ever after." John Knowles' A SEPARATE PEACE was a moving novel that gets you thinking. I strongly recommend this book to those who are open-minded; otherwise, you probably won't enjoy the story too much.

The book is essentially a reflection of a 30-something year old man trying to convalesce from two psychologically traumatic experiences that happened in his youth at a New England boarding school. Gene was not ready, in his teen aged years, for the experience of Phineas - a character more mythologiclly true than realistic. Although the excellently crafted subtlies of this novel could by pass the shallow reader, there is a wealth of youth, human, psychology for the keen eye and the sensitive soul. Understand this book, and it will change your view of friendship and war forever. How can anyone read that last paragraph: "All of them, all except Phineas, constructed at infinite cost to themselves these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thought they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way - if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy" and not immediately want to read the book again,... and not have her/his naivete immediately shattered.

I hate A Separate Peace. It is not only dull and utterly worthless but also kills brain cells. No stimulus whatsoever can be found in this extravagant waste of paper. The author, Mr. John Knowles, cannot write comprehensibly and deserves to be shot in the face.