I have been working in reliability and quality of electronic and electro-mechanical systems and components for over 20 years. According to my experience, cost-effective and technically adequate qualification of new complex products takes almost the same time as their initial design. Normally, proper stresses reveal faults, which have to be analyzed, fixed and verified through the new test. Because of inherently long duration of regular reliability tests, a product under qualification may enter the market too late. On the other hand, improper assessment may mislead a manufacturer, vendors and designers resulting in catastrophic field failures, loss of contracts and reputation. Finally, cost of modern qualifications became rather high and nobody wants to waste money due to a wrong or ineffective approach. Therefore, efficient accelerated tests followed by proper failure analysis and corrective actions become mandatory for any industry.

In my opinion, the book of Lev and Eugene Klyatis fill in a gap in accelerated test methodology related to complex machinery, especially in transportation. The book provides modern comprehensive and practical approach to this topic based on extremely broad international and US experience. It combines scientific introduction into the test organization, failure physics, statistical estimates with a rather detailed practical description of environmental laboratory stressing. One can find not just concepts, but recommendations regarding simulation of field conditions in a lab, test equipment and setups, combination of technically most efficient and cost-effective stresses. A number of well-conceived life-on examples, reference tables and pictorial summaries provide condense guidance and ease digesting of this complex topic. Correct implementation of the authors' approach expedites time-to-market of new products, provides tangible saving, and improve quality and reliability of new and existing systems.

I highly recommend this manuscript to reliability and quality professionals, R&D and manufacturing engineers working in machinery-related industries, especially in transportation. I believe that this book may be successfully used in order to train appropriate college students with majors in quality, manufacturing and design engineering and management. The book is certainly useful during continuous education program.

Lev Razgon has not written just another account of train rides, hunger, and interrogations. Rather, in a series of vignettes, he explores the political culture both of the Soviet gulag and of the Stalinist era as a whole. While some of these can be precious, and all require a reasonable knowledge of Soviet history (better annotation would have been useful), Razgon provides one of the last first-hand accounts of the prison culture--on both sides of the wire--in the Soviet Union.

I would perhaps not have been inspired to write a review of this brilliant book had I not read Rachel Grey's review... In general, other reviewers have said all the things I would want to say about "My Name is Asher Lev;" its exquisite writing, its heartbreaking and beautiful portrayal of a developing artist trying to reconcile his need to create with the demands of his family and his religious community - these are well covered. But Miss Grey's review moved me to respond.

Dear girl - how closely did you read this book? It does not take place in the present time; it was published in 1972, and is set somewhat earlier. Asher's family in no way represents mainstream Judaism, which I would think any careful reader - even one ignorant of Jewish culture and practice - would have understood. The Levs are Hasids, members of a small, conservative, fundamentalist segment of the Jewish world. In that respect, your identification with Asher's experience as similar to that of growing up in a fundamentalist Christian household is entirely appropriate.

Potok is not by any means suggesting that all Jews would be dismayed to find Picasso growing up in the back bedroom. He is portraying a very specific world, and through that world exploring the conflicts that an artist - one who is powerfully, passionately driven to realize his unique vision - may encounter with his family, his community, and even his own spiritual nature as a result of that need to create.

Please do read this book again, and please don't condemn Judaism or Jews - or even Hasids - for the behavior of Asher's family that you find distasteful. A work of art, a piece of literature, should not stand as a sweeping statement on an entire class of people, nor should a work of fiction be read as though it intends to make such a statement. In this case, at least, "My Name is Asher Lev" is a specific exploration of a microcosm inhabited by interesting, multi-dimensional, sometimes unsympathetic members of a minority sect. The general message to take from this book is not that Jews are intolerant of art and artists or communicate badly with their children, but the far more complex truths Potok investigates regarding the interplay of religion, family, and artistic vision.

I read this book June 1998, after having read 5 others of Chaim Potok's wonderful novels. And this time I was drawn to this book after reading "The Jewish Phenomenon" followed by, "When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough."

While "My Name is Asher Lev," is a story of an artist, who is an Observant Jew, more importantly, I saw this book to reflect the challenges that many of us have in living our life's purpose, especially those who discover their life's purpose long after everyone around them has a different view of their role in life.

It's a threat to those who love you to watch you live within your life's mission, when they have spent their lives living according to blind loyalty, traditions, and unquestioned habits.

And it takes courage to redefine who you are, while you ride out the anger, fear, envy and hate that family members can have, as Asher Lev's father, Aryeh, seemed to have of his gifted son.

Here was a boy whose father's father, and all those before him followed what the Rebbe and his ancestors dictated is right for them. But Asher Lev found a way to combine both worlds, the Christian and the Jewish, through his art forms.

This is a wonderful book for anyone to read, slowly, as you reflect upon your own challenges, and your desire to live a balanced life.

Another message within this beautiful story is that when you believe that you should be doing what you believe God sent you to do, you must find mentors who will not allow you to run away from your life's purpose.

Thank you Chaim Potok.

I am not an artist. Nor am I a gifted person in any respect. But, for a few moments, I had a notion of what it could be like to be blessed and cursed with a talent so rare, and so special. This feeling occured when I read and delved into the world of Asher Lev.

"My Name is Asher Lev" is Chaim Potok's best novel. It is complete, subtle and passionate; devastating to its core. It tells the poignant and difficult story of Asher Lev, a New York-born religious Jew who finds the gift of painting within him early on, yet is isolated from his community due to the philosophy that Judaism, modern art, and Christianity are distinctly seperate worlds.

In my favorite scene from the book, detailing the power of Potok's imagination, Asher Lev is a young boy, who looks at his mother one day and creates a rendition of her on paper. Because she is depressed at the time, and smoking, Potok has Lev use the leftover ash from her finished cigarettes as the drawing object; his mother is created in shades of gray. A story this original, this creative, and this imaginary deserves to be read.

Potok, a rabbi, has done an excellent job in detailing a Jewish community in the United States, as well as conveying the relationship it holds with the Christian majority. Besides being a good read on art, the novel offers a fascinating glimpse into the tensions that separate two religious worlds.

"My Name Is Asher Lev" is a wonderful read and I recommended it to all.

If you are looking at this book review it's probably because you want to see if this book is worth buying. Well it is!!!
IT IS "a highly instructive" as GM Larry Evans said and it is great for improving tactical play. If you want more than just tactical puzzles but explanations as well then get this book!. Although it is part 3 in the "comprehensive chess course series" this book is great stand-alone. It may even make you want to purchase the rest of the "comprehensive chess course series"!!!. This book should be in any improving player's library and after going through it you will notice how your tactical recognition is improving, and the book is so well structured that you can go through it many times within a short period of time. Pehaps a lesson a day and with nine lessons in the book that's 9 days and you can do the whole thing over and over again improving each time. Understand tactics don't just do puzzles...get this book!

This book is one of the best books out there for chess tactics. The examples they present are clear and of moderate difficlty. He focuses on all tactics and even has some which other books ignore, like destructive combinations. Alburt's best commentary is in the 'How to Calculate Variations' chapter. He tells of common psychological blocks and how to actually calculate which many other tactic books ignore. I recommend this highly. Strong tactical ability is the best asset a chess player can have.

I love this whole series. (I ignore the first two books of the series, which are for rank beginners to learn the moves. Start with the Tactics book, then Attacking the King, then Chess Strategy, and Endgame Facts.) A simple four volume course to play chess at the expert (1700) level. Listen, I am not the most talented chess player, and was 1100 on the ICC for months, losing to my friends. I decided to study or to stop playing. I read Silman, Nimzovitch, others and none helped; it was too hard for a dummy like me. This was my last-ditch effort (I figured it worked for school kids in Russia, and I was OK at homework.) It worked. By the time I was through volume 2, I was 1600+. I am in volume 3, so the full impact should go to 1700, as promised in the ads :) A simple effective chess intro. This, and Fred Reinfeld's combo books for practice are all you need to get pretty good at chess, then move on to other skills -- leaving a good chess game in your back pocket for fun now and then :) In particular, the tactics book is the most inspired of the series. It glistens with sharp definitions of attacking motifs (e.g. distinguishing properly between an x-ray and a skewer), a nice discussion of the tactical THINKING process (1.recognizing a motif, 2. generating a combo idea, then 3. calculating the forcing variation), and featuring nice modern examples from Kasparov, Kramnik, and Anand throughout. Really I think this kind of material was the training used to generate a tactical monster like Kasparov. I sometimes wonder if the later books in the series were thrown in for the sake of completeness, not truly inspired. Or it may be that in chess, all the beauty is in the combo :)

Parents know that it doesn't take expensive toys and gadgets to entertain a toddler. Any old box or wad of tissue paper will do!

When Trish Kuffner put together "The Toddler's Busy Book", she was keenly aware of this fact, being a mother of five herself. Within the over 500 pages, you will find a multitude of ideas for keeping your little darlings busy and entertained, without spending a fortune. In fact, many of the items used in this great book can be found lying around the house.

Ms. Kuffner includes sections on organizing for a toddler, how to plan your activities, what to keep on hand for quick crafting fun, and even ideas for a weekly activity planner. Chapters include topics such as rainy day play, kids in the kitchen, water play, outdoor adventures, and ideas for keeping kids busy on long car rides. You'll also find a large array of favorite nursery rhymes and finger plays, and great ideas to help develop a love for music in your child.

There's an entire section dedicated to crafts and activities, another for birthdays and holidays, and a useful section containing recipes for all types of homemade play doughs, clays, paints, and more. Many of the ideas in this book are so simple, you may find yourself saying "Why didn't I think of that!". Kudos to Ms. Kuffner on creating an excellent resource for parents of busy little toddlers!

I was home with a sick toddler and a cranky youngster the day this book arrived, and it saved me. The first page I flipped to had an idea for a simple game that I put together in two minutes and had us all laughing for twenty. Bless you, Trish Kuffner!

This book is nicely organized. A chapter of introduction helps you plan, supply and mentally prepare for those long days when you are running out of ideas. The author writes with humor and affection. Subsequent chapters are organized into Rainy Day Play, Kids in the Kitchen, Water Play, Outdoor Adventures, Out and About, Nursery Rhymes and Finger Plays, Early Learning Fun, Music and Movement, Arts and Crafts, and Holidays. Most activities are simple to set up, generally using about three or four household items. Appendices list recipes for basic paints, doughs, glues and clay; a list of activities for a Crazy Can (a random drawing of activities that aren't messy and need little supervisoin so you can, for example, get dinner ready); best toys for babies and toddlers; best books for same; and resources. The index lists projects (but not materials, which would be helpful in later editions).

The book subtitle, 365 Creative Games and Activities to Keep Your 1-1/2- to 3-Year-Old Busy, sells the book short, as I've used these ideas successfully with older children as well.

For those of us who are not good at dreaming up artsy fun things-to-do, this book is a wonderful resource. For those of you who *are* good, you will probably still find some fun ideas in this well-organized, friendly guide.

Trish Kuffner writes, "Toddlerhood is a precious stage in the life of both parent and child, and one which can be enjoyed immensely if you are prepared to slow down a little, sit on the floor a lot, and worry about picking up the toys only when your child goes to bed at night."

The toddler age is the most mystical age for child and parent - you'll never again have such a rich opportunity to entertain your children with ordinary items and activities!

Kuffner gives us an enormous number of ideas for fun things to do with our children. This is an arts and crafts type of book, and she does something I haven't seen in other activity books. She spends a chapter telling you how to organize for a toddler. She also provides a list of items to buy and old household items to save (dried magic markers, for example).

The rest of the book is laid out equally well. There are chapters on rainy day play, water play, kitchen activities, outdoor adventures, how to entertain the kids when you're on errands or travel, nursery rhymes, learning activities, music, arts & crafts, and even birthday/holiday activities. The appendix lists craft recipes, "crazy can" activities, and best toys/books for toddlers. Very comprehensive and varied.

Reading through this book makes me want to do most of the activities myself if my toddler doesn't want to!

My husband tends toward other fun activities rather than arts and crafts when he entertains the kids. But even he flipped through the book and got interested in some of the activities.

Although The Gift of Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok, was at times slightly confusing, it was a remarkably enjoyable book. A person who is interested in stories centered around family values and religion will enjoy this book. Asher Lev is a Ladover Jew living in Paris, with his wife, Devorah, and their two children, Rocheleh and Avrumel. He tells his life story from early childhood to the present. Asher recounts difficult times that he has endured, including the death of an uncle, and how he has relied on his wife and his painting to help him through these times. His love of painting inspired him to become an artist although his religious beliefs are against it. Through all of the hardships, Asher realized that his family would always support him. The Gift of Asher Lev sometimes seems confusing. At times, the reader is baffled because as soon as he begins to figure out who all of the characters are, more are brought into the story. After introducing his whole family, Asher begins to tell about all of his father’s friends. The new people, and their confusing names, make it difficult to follow the story line. Also, there are references made to outside bodies of knowledge, that the average reader may not know the meaning of. For example, Asher’s father said that Asher looked "so skinny and pale. Like Chagall" (97). Chagall was a character in another book in the Asher Lev series, not the artist, Mark Chagall. If one had not read other Chaim Potok books, this reference would have no meaning. Although the book was confusing, it was extremely enjoyable. The idea of strong family values played a significant role in the story. Asher’s passion for art and painting was looked down upon by his community. His ten year old daughter, Rocheleh, was the first person to defend him and his beliefs because she said that she "loved [her father] for who he was, not what he did for a living" (185). That quote summarizes this book perfectly because it exemplifies how tightly knit the Lev family really is. His family, as well as his painting, were gifts that he treasured.

The excellent "My name is Asher Lev", to which "The Gift of Asher Lev" is the sequel, is certainly hard, almost impossible, to match. I think every author can be proud to write such a book once in his lifetime and, in fact, I found that "The Gift of Asher Lev" is not as great as the first part. Nonetheless, considering the trash you can normally expect from sequels, this is still pretty good. I don't know how I would have liked it if I hadn't read the first part, though, perhaps I would have wondered what it is all about. I can recommend to everyone to read the first part first, if you can.

Of all the Chaim Potok books I've read, (the last being about 8 years ago) this one has stayed with me the most, perhaps because it perplexed me at the time. Probably most people will prefer the first Asher Lev book, with its clearer narrative and dramatic plot. It covers the painful conflict between a traumatized community's survival and personal creativity so well it seems unnecessary to bring it up again. But to me it was merely the prequel for this second book.
Asher struggles to keep his son from being taken from him by the same Chasidic community that had banished him for his artistic intensity. I had the strange experience of being drawn into the books central conflict, only to reach the end realizing that a conclusion had been reached that I was entirely unaware of!
So I reread most of the book-- I had to go back very far to pick up the threads I missed-- and noticed an early scene in which the great Rebbe, standing from the balcony overlooking the Ladover community he leads, speaking about the key issue of who his successor shall be-- he has no children to follow him. He speaks in nonsense, something about Ones and Threes, and then explains that when a truth is difficult to bear, it is better to be pesented in riddles than more straightforwardly. So it was with this book, and for me it was one hell of a trick.
On the surface, nothing really happens. Asher mopes around Brooklyn and Paris broodingly, draws sketches of passing moments, talks to ghosts of Picasso and his own mentor, Jacob Kahn, and chooses the fate of himself and his son so subtly that it appears to be nothing at all. But it was frightening and wonderful when I finally got what he did: he gave his community the gift of Asher Lev. In the first book, 'the Gift' always referred to how his people saw his artistic talent, as a gift from God. But by the end of the second book, we see the gift he gives back to the community he has such intense love and bitterness for is something completely different.
Let me just add that I am a middle aged Jewish artist, about to go back to MY family from a 13 year exile abroad, and this book speaks very closely to my situation. ...

This marvellous book of Landau, Lifshitz is the best adult presentation of "classical" classical mechanics, that is, leaving aside problems of stability, chaos, etc. With this proviso, the book is perfect. It is very short, not by omitting things, but by choosing (and rigidly adhering to it) a very sound philosophy: exploring the connection between symmetries and conservation laws. This explains why the dynamics is based on the action principle, which, as shown by Wigner, is the optimum language for expliciting the discoveries of Emmy Noether. The whole book follows this line, making the exposition very original and, at points, quite surprising (as when the mass is proved to be positive). In my opinion the climax of the book is the theory of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, along the ideas of Jacobi. I know of no place where this is so admirably done. Simple and beautiful. After learning it, and the applications contained in the book, you can learn the miracles ! Landau and Lifshitz perform with this equation in all areas of physics, particularly in General Relativity.

This book(and very hotly contested by their Classical Theory of Fields) has to be the most gorgeous exposition on classical physics to be found. Crystal clear, yet concise and perfectly logical as is to be expected from all of Landau's works. The material is so beautifully developed that this is one of the few places where it is possible to see how each piece of the classical mechanics puzzle fits together. If not for the rest of the book, the sections on the Hamilton-Jacobi Equation, Maupertuis Principle and a small but absolutely incredible section on mechanical similarity are simply a must read. Goldstein(the general) standard suffers from several defects, notably logical inconsistency within the own text(A complaint that can never be made of any of Landau's books). Above all, This book is the perfect keystone to the remaining books of their series, and as such should be read before attempting any of the remaining volumes.

Lastly regarding criticisms that this book does not tend itself to non-integrability and classical chaos I suppose these are justified statments, but considering that this book was never written with such goals in mind, the arguments are irrelevant. There are several excellent references available on such material(including a recently added section in Goldstein) which will satisfy people looking for such topics. But this volume should feature on the bookshelf of anyone that has any interest in classical mechanics and wishes to read the treatment of the subject by a master.

Classical Mechanics by H. Goldstein was the assigned text for a senior year course on CM. In all fairness, Goldstein does introduce tools and concepts useful to more advanced study in the subject, so I would turn to G. for a second reading on these topics. He also discusses the connections between classical to quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, Landau's presentation of the core of CM is clearer and more direct. For learning about the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms, rigid body rotation, small oscillations and canonical transformation, I found Landau to be the better book.

For context, I'm a class C player with an estimated USCF rating somewhere between 1500 and 1600.

This is a book for the player who wants to understand the ideas behind the opening; not just recommended lines to be remembered by rote. The ideas include white's plans and possible counter-plans for black. It describes good plans and warns about plans to avoid.

The book is split into 3 parts:
1. How to use the book
2. General ideas and plans based on pawn structures that arise in the Pirc, and the role of individual pieces during the execution of those plans
3. Variations that are recommended for black for each of white's major options. This section of the book starts each section with diagrams of important positions to be remembered, and ends with diagrams showing critical positions and the best move for white or black.

The whole presentation of the material makes it obvious that the authors have years of experience in the field of chess training.

So, if I think the book is so good, why did I give it a 4-star rating instead of 5? Minor quibbles really:
1. The subtitle "A complete Defense Against 1. e4" is misleading. It could be the heart of a complete defense but, for one or two lines, the reader is referred to using another defense not covered in the book.
2. The general ideas given in Part 2 could have done with a little more context. In particular, you have to refer forward to Part 3 to find out why black cannot always use the "preferred" pawn structure where black gets the easiest play.

I have never been convinced that the Pirc is a solid defence, but it can be a very fun defense in speed chess. Understanding that I only purchased this book to improve my ability to play the Pirc as black in speed chess, this book served it's purpose.

This book has the best style I have ever seen in a chess book. There are enough pictures and explantions that most of the main points are readable without a chess set. There are review questions at the end of each chapter to see if you understood the main points of each chapter. The suggestions about when to play c5 instead e5 are excellent. The main points about playing c5 have been put onto blue pages so that they are easier to find.

Unfortunately, this book has three drawbacks. The line the authors' recommend against the classical pirc is clearly losing for the player of the black pieces. Also, this book is written from black's perspective, so it probably won't teach you how to defeat the Pirc unless you count the losses you may experience when playing the author's recommended line against the classical variation. Finally, instead of taking advantage of their good style to make this book a quick study, the authors made this book much longer than it needed to be. Half of this book seems to be padding.

Overall, this book is a good source for learning how to use good style when writing a chess book. I recommend that the authors of most other chess books read this book before they write any more chess books. More importantly, at the time of this review (Sept. 19, 2002) this is the best book on the Pirc Defense that I could find. Although I have never been convinced that the Pirc is a solid defense, understanding the basics of the Pirc can make it fun to play as blitz opening.

This is one of the finest opening books I have read. First a warning. The Pirc defence is not for the novice. The defence is complex, subtle, fluid and requires a high degree of positional understanding and defensive skill. It is one of the most complex responses to 1. e4 that Black can play. From this perspective it is amazing that the authors have written such a lucid book. Lev Alburt's didactic approach is enhanced by Alex Chernin's specialist knowledge. The end product is a superb book. I have read hundreds of opening books, but this ranks as one of the best, if not THE best. You will understand the Pirc defence after reading this book. While not every variation is covered, most are covered more than enough for the average club hacker. If you are below FIDE 2200 you will benefit from this book. However, having said that, I am not convinced that the class C to low B player should adopt this opening. But, if you like complex positions with plenty of room for originality and fluctuating pawn structures... go for it. You wont get a better guide than this book.

I'm so glad to see that there's finally a Beatles book out there that a young child, my son, can actually read! Even though this book was a simple and short read, it was great because it explained the McCartney death rumor to me in a short and fun way. Now I'm intrigued enough to buy one of the books that lists all the clues.

Truly an amazing story! Dr. Lev writes an intriging and inspiring story anyone interested in Beatles history or conspiracy theories will enjoy. This book is fun to read and captivating because of the plot, storyline and of course the Beatles.
The main characters and story revolve around "The Beatles" arguably the most creative rock and roll band ever. Billy Shears is Billy Campbell a young man that gets involved in the Beatles and more than your average fan. Billy Shears is really a clue off "Seargent Pepper" that "Billy is here". That is really just the tip of the iceberg as we say, this plot will leave you mesmerized. And I guarantee you will be getting out your old vinyl Beatle albums and listening and looking for all the clues. It is truly an interesting story. And all Beatle fans will get wrapped up in this story.
It would not surprise me in the next few years to hear of a big movie coming out on this very book "Billy Shears". My hat is off to you Dr. Lev. Simply a masterpiece.

Ever since hearing the allegedly "Paul" sing "Get Back" from the Beatles "Let It Be" album, I had always suspected that the singer with that nasal tone was actually trying to sound like Paul McCartney. Of course, this fell short since it is Billy Shears actually singing. And, as Dr. Lev so accurately sets forth in his compelling tale-it is Billy Shears who saves the Beatles' career after that fateful incident. A great read for everyone from adults to kids alike!

Lev Raphael is our star reporter from the brutal battlefield of academia, and readers couldn't have a wittier, more seasoned correspondent. If you've ever spent time at a university, you'll howl at his portrayals of petty bureaucrats, self-important scholars, groveling grad students, and snarky professors. Thank goodness Professor Nick Hoffman has his rock-steady friend and lover Stefan to lean on, because it's a jungle out there at the State University of Michigan. If you're looking for a dumbed-down mystery you'd better take a pass, because Raphael assumes intelligence on the part of his readers. That's a treat in itself, but the real payoff with Raphael's work can be found in the deeper themes beneath the laughs: The magic of beauty; the power of love and acceptance; the redeeming nature of faith. LOVER is a wonderful read.

If you can't go home again, you can always return for a visit or two. Self-described recovering academic Lev Raphael left university teaching for a full-time writing career. In between producing more literary works -- a novel, a collection of short stories and an analysis of Edith Wharton's fiction -- he's also written three witty mysteries skewing the academic world he left.

His comic alter ego, Nick Hoffman, came to the State University of Michigan to teach classes in the English, American Studies and Rhetoric Department and to be with Stefan, his partner. He also wants to make tenure. But his sharp tongue, lack of allies and preference for teaching over research hurts his chances enough if it weren't for all the bodies he keeps discovering.

By the time Raphael's third book opens, Hoffman's career is foundering and sinking fast. His involvement as amateur detective has brought unfavorable publicity to the university, and his chances darken further by simply being within eyeshot of a murder -- this time of a young man killed during a melee between a campus preacher and a group of students.

"The Death of a Constant Lover" -- the title is a reference to 19th-century English novelist Benjamin Constant --is more a novel of university life and politics than a murder mystery. The investigation moves in fits and starts as Hoffman finds himself also dealing with other problems: death threats are being sent to his office mate, a woman hired to fulfill SUM's diversity quota, and the effect on his relationship with Stefan when he is dropped by his publisher.

Raphael's third book is slightly darker than his first two. Hoffman's joie de vive is dampened by the violence around him, making "Death of a Constant Lover" not so much a darker book -- we're not talking about James Ellroy here -- but simply not as bright and vivacious than the first two books. That's not a criticism so much as an observation that Raphael has put his finger on a key problem with the detecting genre. Death is serious business, and cracking jokes like Noel Coward around the body doesn't ring true. And yet, some sense of humor is needed to keep one from turning Gothic. Homicide detectives and crime reporters tend to develop a callous form that can be shocking to those who The tradeoff here is that Raphael has a sure grasp of his leading characters, and "Constant Lover" is a deeper and more thoughtful mystery that approaches the depth of P.D. James or Martha Grimes.

Lev Raphael does academia better than anyone. This book takes a clever and delightful series up a notch. The story grabs the reader's attention immediately, then twists and turns as clues and characters are introduced in a very engaging manner. Throughout the solution of the crime, we are entertained by Raphael's sharp wit and humor (look for Minnie, and the Michigan "trend" of older women in relationships...), his skillful use of literary references, and the wonderful growth in the relationship between Nick and Stefan. Mystery fans will love all the allusions to writers and trends within the genre. This is an absolutely delicious read!