It's interesting to watch the jagged leaps and bounds by which this hilarious, unsentimental Lower East Side memoir became a sentimental tearjerker about a beautiful mother dying of cancer in L.A. That Hollywood gets Jewishness wrong again and again should come as a surprise to no one (Remember Melanie Griffith in "A Stranger Among Us"?) But the story of "Unstrung Heroes" is a rather spectacular example of Disney not getting anything about New York at all. The movie is a sanitized ode to motherhood, that is that it is practically impossible to watch without crying. I cried (many times) while reading the book, but somehow the tears felt more honest.

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.

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.

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!

I was a little worried at first that this would be a book from the Dinosaur, but not necessarily containing the actual recipes you eat in the restaurant. Fear not, this book is the real deal.

It has most of the dishes they serve at the Dino' - from the cornbread, pulled pork, ribs and peanut butter pie to mojito chicken and steak with chimchurri sauce. Throw in the rubs, sauces, and marinades and you've got everything to make some outstanding food.

To top it off it has some great tips for cooking. You can tell that John Stage is a stickler for getting things done right. And then the writing and photography really take you there.

Yeah, I'm from Syracuse, but the book still stands out from my 80+ cookbooks.

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 read "The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall" by Anne Bronte for my review of personal reading in English last year and I thought it was really gripping. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

It tells the story of a young woman's struggle for independence, against law and a society which defined a married woman as her husband's property. The novel, which uses extracts from her diary and narration from her neighbour, is very interesting and quite realistic.

It seems to me that the most interesting thing about the novel, is the build up of tension Bronte uses to sustain the reader's attention. It is stimulating and creates a little excitement in the book.

Helen Graham moves into Wildfell Hall with her son. She is a single mother and earns her living as a painter. Her neighbour, Gilbert Markham, takes a sudden interest in her and wants to find out everything about her. Although she is quite content being friends with him, she wants nothing more. As soon as he becomes too personal, she reminds him that friendship is the principal of their relationship. As they spend more time together, though, she learns to trust him and reveals the truth about her past. She is living at Wildfell Hall under a false surname, hiding from her husband who is an adulterer. The only other person who knows of this is her landlord, who Gilbert learns late in the novel, is in fact, her brother.

One thing which I found gripping about this story, was the build up of tension Bronte used. She took her time, revealing one thing, building up the tension again, then revealing another. She continued to do this throughout the story, and this is what kept me interested. It is a story, in which two people who love one another, are prevented from being together by society and their own natural reticence. We know romance often has this, but Bronte creates a strong desire in the reader for them to be together. She puts real obstacles in the way of their love for each other, such as the fact that Helen is already married and has a child to her husband. This therefore, causes the reader to understand the story more.

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!!

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.

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!

When I first picked up this book, I had no idea what to expect. I was even more bewildered when I opened it up and looked at the drawings. I thought to myself, what in the world is this? Then I started reading.

Edward Gorey's work is at times subtle or broad, ironic or slaptstick, and always brilliant. How dare this man call himself a children's book author! His books are for everyone, not just tots. Startlingly funny and morbid, the books in this volume (and his other collections) will make the reader laugh and snicker until they are sick. The dark humor of "the Gashlycrumb Tinies", the burlesque of "the Curious Sofa", the absurdity of "the Doubtful Guest", the dry wit of "the Unstrung Harp", every story is different. Every story is a gem. Gorey's books are a must-have for absolutely everybody.

You have not fully lived until you have read Amphigorey!
With it's delightful pieces of artwork and sometimes unintellgible use of verse Edward Gorey's first fifteen books come together in what I would call a brilliant spectacle of cloaked and sometimes deceased spectres.
With stories such as The Hapless Child a story my fifty year old father described as sad and twistedly morbid (needless to say he never asked to look at the book again) and The Curious Sofa a story that hints pornographic ideals but does not detail or embellish them will revoulting sex scenes...the story's lines just merely plant naughty thoughts in your head and your brain travels on from there, it is a classic book, a book I've cherished for years and would love to see referred to as a classic work of art rather than mere fiction and humor!

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

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.

"The Complete Stories" has everything the beginning Kafka reader neads to get started. Of course this is required reading for the Kafka enthusiast.

A well thought-out forward by John Updike prepares you for your journey into the amazing and complex mind of Kafka. The book is divided into two sections, one for the longer stories and one for the shorter stories (most of which only take up a page or two).

The stories themselves are great. "The Metamorphisis" is included, in which Gregor Samsa awakens to find himself in the form of a rather large insect! "The Penal Colony", "The Judgment" and "A Country Doctor" are also included.

There's certainly hasn't been an author since Kafka able to play upon the fears and emotions of the human mind, those thoughts playing in out head, when we realize that maybe some of this could happen to us.

If you enjoy "The Complete Stories", be sure to pick up "Amerika", "The Castle" and "The Trial". These are Kafka's three novels and will complete your collection. All very much worth it!

It's hard to fit a review of any of Kafka's work in such a short space, but especially a review of his short fiction (or rather parables, which is more what they are). He was a master of the short story, the likes of which we have seldom seen before or since. This volume contains most of his short stories, those that aren't included here are included elsewhere, where they are more fitting (such as "The Stoker" as the first chapter of Amerika). Kafka's short story "The Metamorphosis" is possibly the best short story ever written. It is certainly the most well known. But I'd like to draw your attention to a few other stories by him--examples of what makes Kafka great: "Before the Law", "In the Penal Colony", "A Country Doctor", "A Report to an Academy", "A Hunger Artist", "The Burrow", "Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk", and "Jackals and Arabs." Read this book.

Kafka has to be the one of the most influential writers of the century, not just for his ability to capture the alienation and unreality of much of modern life but because his vision, which is simultaneously totally bizarre and strangely moving, freed writers to try more and more daring ways of expressing themselves. After all, if one can write a moving story about a man who wakes one morning to discover that he has been turned into a huge cockroach, what can't the writer do?

The impression left by these stories is all the more interesting when one realizes that Kafka wasn't a starving, drug or drink demented artist, but a minor clerk in a German insurance firm. A dull and orderly life. Of course, if you've ever worked for an insurance company Kafka's sense of unreality and alienation might seem natural.

These are unique and wonderful concoctions. Anyone who wonders what 'Kafkaesque' really means should take a peek into his world. These stories are the best place to start. Then on to The Trial for the full, gruely experience. Wonderfully horrible.

I am a United States Marine and I wish that this book had been around before I joined. This book gives a great insight into what recruits go through on Parris Island. My son will be going to recruit training in a few months and he is reading it now. I can think of no way to better prepare a young man or woman for the emotions and day to day life of recruit training than to read this book. This is a wonderful way to prepare a child for life and adulthood in and outside of the military. This book has brought my son and I so much closer in the past few weeks. My wife loved it almost more than I did. You have to read this book.

I recently received a copy of the new book, "Keeping Faith" by Frank and John Schaeffer for review. This book is a collaborative effort between a Marine (John) and his father (Frank). It not only tells the story of one young man's journey from a "nasty" civilian to a Marine, via Paris Island, but it explores the feelings between a son and a father during that
transition. Though two of my own kids made that journey nearly four years ago, this book dredged up all the emotions of that time-the selfish disappointment at having a child leave home, the anxiety over whether they would make it, and the pride in having a son or daughter become a member of America's most elite fighting force. It also brought new understanding to what the training at Parris Island accomplishes and painted the vivid details that my own kids omitted when recounting their experience.

Throughout the book, the chronological story of the training at boot camp is interspersed with John Schaeffer's poetry and letters to his dad and Frank's letters to Recruit Schaeffer. "Keeping Faith" unveils the love and emotions of a father and son in an intimate way and examines the subtle changes in that relationship that the journey from childhood to adulthood, via the Marine Corps, brings. If you are a the parent of a poolee or new recruit, this book will be invaluable to understanding what your son or daughter is about to undertake and what it will mean to you. For those who have already made the journey, "Keeping Faith" will rekindle all those emotions, from your recruit getting on the bus, to the pride filled day of graduation. It should be mandatory reading for all Marine parents. Even your non-Marine friends would gain an understanding of why Marines and their parents are so proud of the title, United States Marine.

I highly recommend this book to all.

Neal Wells
Proud Father of...

2 Marines and an Airman

There are many terrific books about military life and more specific, the USMC boot camp experience. True, this book brings into focus the reality of that experience for John as a Marine recruit, but the value of the book goes way beyond a diary of 12 weeks on Parris Island. Up front and honest I drove my own son to the recruiters office one early March morning in 2002 for this same experience, with our families complete support for his dream of being a US Marine - he is one now. The experience of this father and son moving through this transition captures the essence of an emotional growth in the relationship; a growing love and embracing of one anothers dreams and experiences. Franks's own reflections of his life and a complete relook at his values measured against his son's dreams and directions that seem so clear to young John; soon to be clear to his father. In many ways captures my own story, being a Vietnam era brat with a son seeing a new horizon for honorable military service in this new version of our times. I was of course interested in the "higher education workshiping" views of Frank, something I didn't have, but appreciated. John's views and directions that the USMC provided are clear to me, having a LCpl. son, that is more than committed to the values of the Corps. Read this book not only for the boot camp experience, but more so for the intense evaluations of dreams both in the past - shaped by the realities of life - and the present shaped by the dreams of a young man and now Marine; as father and son now move forward into the bounty of love - and FAITH: clearly, in each other.

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.

Interested in knowing a lot about the living legend SteveReeves? Please enter. If you're into bodybuilding, all the rightstuff for building a classic physique is here; how and when to work out, what to eat, what not to eat, when to rest, etc.; every ingredient for achieving a great build naturally. In addition to bodybuilding, Steve also unveils his everyday recipe for staying physically fit for life. Some of the topics include the power of walking, the importance of water, getting smart about nutrition, etc. With 175 rare pictures of Reeves, the book also delivers on biographical data: from childhood, to bodybuilding fame, to worldwide movie star, to Reeves' current activity. It's all documented, it's all interesting and it's all the write stuff.

If you are a Steve Reeves fan you must have this book no questions asked. If you work out and need inspiration you must have this book. If you want to truly learn how to build the best body you can, I recommend this book over many that I have read. Steve has genetics that few, very few have but his knowledge will help everyone. If your head is spinning with all the latest and greatest ideas and you don't know what to do, get back to the basics with "blood, sweat and tears", hard work and good diet with Steve. Or if your tempted to do steroids, try his methods for at least two months. For the knowledge, pictures and story, this book is a steel.....

John Leppelman gives an unvarnished, first hand account of an Airborne soldier in 3 tours of Vietnam. The battle descriptions are very detailed and description of life there very lucid. The book is well written and moves quickly. The totality of the book's battles and struggles hits you like a sledgehammer. Definitely a read if you want to understand the Vietnam War or soldier.

This book is a page turner. On my forth time reading it. It seems as if you are right along side with John during his three tours. From the Herd to River Boats to the Charlie Rangers he did it all. Must read if you like to read about Vietnam. No bull tells it like, what it really was. Thanks for the true story of Vietnam John.

One day I asked my dad if he could loun me a good reading book on the Vietnam war. He handed me Blood on the Risers! I learned many things by reading John's book like how the press lied and hid things from the men and wemon at home, and how the War was limited like it shouldn't have been. After all it was a War not a picnick. I wish I could meet Mr. Leppelman and speak with him. I'v read many nonfictional and fictional books but nothing compares to Blood on the Risers!

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.

Who could resist giving this book five stars? (Obviously, not many!) Johnston McCulley presents the first appearance of Zorro throughout the world in this classic novel of old Spanish California. Originally published in 1919 and entitled "The Curse of Capistrano", this novel is one of the most adventure-packed stories you're probably ever going to find! If you haven't read this book, you should!!!