A friend let me read this book, it was one of the few books that I have read and had to go and buy a copy. Mr. Bischoff keeps true to the sprit of Philip K. Dick, but has done a story that stand on its own. I think and any person that enjoys the novels and short stories by Philip K. Dick will enjoy this book.

THE HIGH SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE . . .

"You've never wondered what the meaning of life is, have you?" asked my teacher.

I shook my head. "I thought people who were depressed asked those kind of questions."

"Okay. Then Quinn, I'll have to be more direct. Middlevale isn't Middlevale. Eisenhower isn't truly an accredited American high school. I'm not me, and you're not you!"

"Then who are we?"

"Victims!" Her finger shot in the air. "Victims of some sort of experiment! Some kind of psycho-social experiment perpetrated by scientists without principle, a government without morals!" Her dewlaps quivered with indignity. My head was spinning again. I tried to speak but I couldn't.

"These ears . . . open them up and you'll find microchip monitors and controls. And judging by the kind of 'visions' we've both seen, I'd also say you'd also find some kind of mind-cloak device, adjusted to auditory and visual aspects of our brains, normalizing the odd things that may abound in this laboratory environment."

I blinked. "You mean, it's all a joke?"

"A bad one. A total farce."

"You're telling me . . . You're saying that it's all a set-up? But how long has this been going on, then?"

"Hard to say. Part of your memories could have been programmed."

"Programmed?" I stared.

"Like computers."

Paddy's Pot of Gold is not just about a leprechaun in Ireland; it's about the endearing friendship that developes between a young girl and a very old leprechaun. It reminds me, in many ways, of the very special friendship between a grandparent and a grandchild and how that special love goes on beyond death. It's excellent!

THE HIGH SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE . . .

"You've never wondered what the meaning of life is, have you?" asked my teacher.

I shook my head. "I thought people who were depressed asked those kind of questions."

"Okay. Then Quinn, I'll have to be more direct. Middlevale isn't Middlevale. Eisenhower isn't truly an accredited American high school. I'm not me, and you're not you!"

"Then who are we?"

"Victims!" Her finger shot in the air. "Victims of some sort of experiment! Some kind of psycho-social experiment perpetrated by scientists without principle, a government without morals!" Her dewlaps quivered with indignity. My head was spinning again. I tried to speak but I couldn't.

"These ears . . . open them up and you'll find microchip monitors and controls. And judging by the kind of 'visions' we've both seen, I'd also say you'd also find some kind of mind-cloak device, adjusted to auditory and visual aspects of our brains, normalizing the odd things that may abound in this laboratory environment."

I blinked. "You mean, it's all a joke?"

"A bad one. A total farce."

"You're telling me . . . You're saying that it's all a set-up? But how long has this been going on, then?"

"Hard to say. Part of your memories could have been programmed."

"Programmed?" I stared.

"Like computers."

Cool Rules has to be in the "Top Ten Worst Books Published In 2000" list. Whatever made the authors think they could write about this subject?!? This book is definitely un-cool!

In Cool Rules: Anatomy Of An Attitude, Dick Pountain and David Robins successfully collaborate to provide readers with insights into American popular culture from African history and jazz, through 60s cinema, to 90s loft living -- all in service to defining "cool". Cool Rules reveals the line between "hip" and "cool"; shows how the concept of "cool" evolved in different cultures, the influence of British attitudes and styles on American fads and reflections of the "cool"; and a great deal more. Always informative, occasionally iconoclastic, Cool Rules is highly recommended reading for students of cultural anthropology, psychology, sociology, semiotics, and the evolution of American lifestyle fads and fancies.

This is a terrific book. If you believe in Platonic essences and you want to touch the essence of cool, then read this book. If you do not believe in Platonic essences, reading this book may change your mind.

Whether looking at music, drugs, work, consumption, politics, aesthetics or relations, Pountain and RObins identify Cool as the dominant attitude of the age. Combining obsessive aversion to authority, ironic detachment, hedonism and narcissism, Cool rules indeed. But, it no longer stands for rebellion, at least not a rebellion which threatens directly market-led consumerism. On the contrary, Cool discovers in rebellion a style, an attitude of mind which can easily be satisfied by fashion, image and advertising.

This book deserves to be ranked with Sennett's and Ritzer's recent works as one of the sharpest cultural critiques of our fin-de-siecle.

What is cool then?

Cool is unpredictable, unconventional, non-routine, anti-bourgeois, anti-domestic, dangerous, uncomfortable, non-rational, detached, engaged, self-contradictory. It is youthful, it is thin, it is passionate but not sentimental. It is dying in many different ways.

Cool rules! But for how much longer?

Hagberg is Sean Flannery's cartoonish alter ego. Or, actually, Flannery is Hagberg's highbrow alter ego - as Hagberg is his real identity. And Hagberg shows his true identity almost to a fault in this thriller. Countdown and Crossfire were tight ropes of action that just kept coming. This one has the action coming at you too but its a bit more uneven. And the Japan-bashing, at a time when Chirstie Yamaguchi couldn't even land a photoshoot for a Wheaties box, was a bit irresponsible. None the less, its a breeze to read.

At issue, a Japanese computer magnate who's bent on destroying the U.S. for its use of nuclear weapons on his homeland. Yes, a unique plot - hardly ever used before. Much of the action and many of the plot twists are as cliched its main plot, but when McGarvey goes into blitz mode, it doesn't matter because plot and reality often get shredded with the goons - and that's ok, its why I read Hagberg, remember, Flannery is his highbrow self.

While I was not overly impressed with this outing, Hagberg more than redeems himself in Dessert Fire and Highflight, two of his absolute best, regardless of pen name.

Bottom line, I'd read it, but read the other four I've mentioned in this review, then catch up with this one.

Comments, email me

A good action packed novel. It was not quiet as exciting as Crossfire and Countdown. A Japanese billionaire loses his family (mother,father,wife,and child) in the atomic bomb blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The billionaire,many years later starts making plans for revenge. His plans include Ernst Spranger and his lesbian sidekick(both are ex Stasi). This group of ex Stasi agents steal the components to assemble a nuclear bomb. Our hero Kirk McGarvey enters the picture and promptly disrupts the scene for the bad guys. McGarvey does battle with this group all over the globe. He also does battle with the goons who belong to the Japanese billionaire.The daughter and ex-wife of McGarvey are also kidnapped by the Stasi renegades. This just adds to the action of the book. The book finally reaches a screeching finale. You will be greatly entertained by this book.

I read this mainly because I had read Hagberg's earlier stuff, and couldn't help but note the similarities between him and Clancy. A pretty good handle on the action sequences, and he convinced me that he knew how to write a good old-fashioned action/adventure novel. Many people seem to be making comparisons between Hagberg and Clancy, but I think he reminds me more of early Ian Fleming. Our leading character is much more a spy ala James Bond than he is a Jack Ryan. That isn't to say his writing suffers, not at all, Hagberg has delivered a fantastic adventure story, much of which is totally unbelievable, but then when was James Bond believable? I get into 007 because he's FUN more than anything else, and that is why Kirk McGarvey is Da Man! A chip off the CIA's block and a pretty exciting one, too. Just when you think it's over and the story is fizzling to nothing, watch out! Hagberg is the real deal and even if he never gains the popularity of Tom Clancy or Ian Fleming, he IS a fun author to read. Give him a try, he just might surprise you.

A satisfying explanation of a well-known mystery--but I won't spoil it by telling you which one. All the main characters are charmingly written (my favorites are the grumpy old grandpa and Angus, the little boy who is always ready to eat) and I loved how King-Smith described what the water horse was thinking. This book leaves you with a good feeling.

P.S. If you're a Pokemon fan--I wonder if this is where they got the idea for Lapras?!?

I Liked This Book.Once You Open You'll Like It From The Very Beginning. Dick-King Smith Did Good.I Liked The Illistrations It Is Funny.So If Your A Good Reader Go To Your Local Library And Check Out The Water Horse

When Kirstie finds an egg on the beach, she takes it home. It hatches in her bathtub. It turns out to be a kelpie or better known as the Water Horse. They keep it in a goldfish pond and feed it fish when it gets to big they move it to a big loch. When the Water Horse gets to big for the loch they don't know what to do!! what will happen to the Water Horse??!? Read this book to find out the rest of this fun, exciting story!!!

...especially not anything you would not be much better off simply scouring the net for. Which happens to be FREE and sports a truckload of such putative blueprints, best practices, ROI enablers, success stories and whatNot -- CRM Guru, CRM Forum, CRM Daily ...ad infinitum. If your reasoning is to skip the information overload and bag all the available wisdom in one neatly bound huggable volume, you'd still do better to look elsewhere, there is easily a wild smattering of CRM wisdom in books that cost a decent coin instead of the Four Seasons price on this tome. After all, it is only fair to expect some ROI on reading dollars, no?

Dick Lee and Bob Thompson are two names that have been around the CRM space for years. But more than their tenure, they're noted for their straight talk and solid opinions. 'Blueprint for CRM Success' continues this no-nonsense tradition.

First, you'll learn CRM is not just software and is not just about technology. Beyond this however are clear step by step guidelines for instituting change and implementing a CRM culture as well as application.

Part II's 'Blueprint for CRM Success' and Part IV's 'Customer-centric Strategies' alone are worth the price of admission!