Everything in this book is 100% correct: Mr Morrone is doubtless a perfectionist in his research and I mean that as a compliment. You want to know the history of a building, an area in Brooklyn or an architect, this book is the ne plus ultra.

I give it 3 stars because his writing style is a tad heavy. It reminds me of Frasier Crane, he of the tv show "Frasier".

But it is good enough to merit a double purchase: One you keep at home and the second you rip out pages at a time as you work your way through the various sections/chapters in Brooklyn. I am never in favor of destroying books, but given the size of this tome, buying two and giving one of them a good going over in the streets of Brooklyn is entirely acceptable.

Rare is the architectural guidebook that merges intricate depictions of the masterpieces with compelling tales about how they came to be. Yet that is precisely what Mr. Morrone has accomplished with this tome, which shows off a borough he clearly loves to great effect. This is a book you can, and should, hold in your hands as you walk through the neighborhoods Mr. Morrone has chosen to include. He made me love Brooklyn even more than I thought possible, and made me wish I lived both in this era and some many years ago, when the many buildings and neighborhoods he describes were coming into being. A must-have book for anyone who intends to look at the buildings of Brooklyn, whether for scholarly pursuits or for pure weekend pleasure.

An elegant writer and gifted independent scholar, Francis Morrone has done his adopted home proud in An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn. With sharp descriptions and apposite facts, Morrone conveys both the complexity and vibrancy of one of New York City's largest boroughs. Readers may well disagree with a few of his assured opinions but what use is a guidebook without a point of view? Morrone's perceptive comments, illustrated by James Iska's graceful photographs, make An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn a boon for both the Brooklyn visitor and the armchair New York fan alike.

Steve Harmon is a good kid growing up in a rough neighborhood. He does well at school and seems to be going in the right direction to have a successful life. A bad decision may cost him everything for which he has worked. This book describes how that choice could send Steve to prison for 25 years. The story provides a good lesson about the choices young people make. Is Steve really guilty of the crime he has been accused of? Did it happen the way his "so-called" friends that are testifying against him say it did or are they lying to cover for themselves? The story is told through Steve's eyes as a movie script, a way that is new to this reader. He tells of the days before he is incarcerated, his time spent in jail and his trial. The reader gets a very heart felt look into this young man's heart throughout the story and the ending is VERY thought provoking. This is a must read for all young people especially boys.

When I started to read "Monster" i was confused by the way it was written. It took me like the first 3 pages to get used to the format. Once i started to read the i book i couldnt put it down. The book is about a 16 year old boy was convicted of murder. Steve could be sent to prison from 25 years to life. Steve tells the whole court room that he was set up, but the jury would not believe him. Inside the prison the people around him tell him that theres no way he can win. Before the trial Steve been hanging around some bad guys. He hanged around with two guys by the name of James King and Bobo Evans. Steve was the youngest of all. The two bad guys had been planning a robbery. The two guys walked into the store the we're going to rub. They though they were clear, when Steve gave them a sign. The guys had a struggle with the store owner and a gun was pulled out and the owner got shot. Evans and King got what they wanted and left like nothing happened. The trial was a long and complicated. Throughout the story, Steve learns things, he learns to be persistent, and he learns to be honest. In the end, Steve came out a much better person.

Monster is a really good book to read because it teaches a valuable lesson. The choices you make dictates the life you live. Steve Harmon was accused for commiting a murder he didn't do at the time of the store robbery. Steve was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Justice always prevales and that is why Steve was found innocent and James was found guilty. Sometimes you have to watch who you hang out with because the people you think are your friends are really not. I had a friend that I thought he was a true friend , but he wasn't. One time I was walking with him and he had drugs on him. Then we got stoped by a police officer and starts searching us. The police officer found the drugs and my friend blamed it on me. I got introuble for it and he was let of the hook. After that i didn't speak to him again. Steve learned a lesson after the trial. He learned that he needs to watch out who he hangs with and to stay out of trouble. It's all fun and games until something really goes down and you find your self scared and alone behind bars. This is a good book to read and I reccomend it to anybody who is interested.

A dozen linked episodes form the return of Socrates Fortlow, the 60ish ex-con who first appeared in Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. Of course, when the main character is named Socrates, you shouldn't be surprised when his story turns out to be a metaphor. Socrates is a man whose daily life is suffused with his past (he spent 27 years in jail for murdering two friends), and is engaged in a constant struggles break free of that past and try and live somewhat normally in the Watts ghetto he calls home. He's cautious and tentative about new opportunities and options before him, seeing traps and pitfalls in every deviation from his simple, spartan life. It's not difficult to see how Mosley is using Socrates to embody disenfranchised black men everywhere and give voice to their (and his) own inner conflicts as black men in contemporary society.

Central to this is anger'a theme that pervades not only Socrates' life, but that of those around him. Throughout the book, Socrates bubbles with an undefined rage at his surroundings, and ultimately he must find some way to accommodate that rage without letting it consume him. Even so, the good side of Socrates is always plainly evident: he's a father figure to a young boy, cares for his two-legged dog, and saves the life of a drunk. That's not to say that he's a "good" person, because he has killed people, but he is a man that's trying to do good things with life despite his past and despite the turmoil within him. Through his interactions with a neighborhood discussion group (a somewhat clumsy device) and a self-styled revolutionary, Socrates comes to discover that he has a right to be angry, but it's how that anger is channeled that will decide his fate. This is played out in a rushed and melodramatic final story that fits thematically with the rest of the book, but is kind of jarring.

Ultimately, the book's message is reasonably clear. Black men need to translate their anger into productive action and free themselves of the mental shackles that keep them from fulfilling their potential. For every person, this means something different, but even those who have committed the greatest sin can live a moral life. Which is not to say their aren't evil people in the world'or in their own community'but just because one lives in a ghetto doesn't mean the only solution is to leave. Rather, stay in the community and try and make it better'even though the man is trying to keep you down.

After residing as a guest of the State of Indiana for half of his life, sexagenarian Socrates Fortlow has gone straight for the past decade, living in Los Angeles. However, once convicted as a murderer-rapist, always convicted by the police. Any violent crime in the neighborhood means Socrates is one of the usual suspects. In his brave barren world, Socrates is becoming a champion of the underdog (human and canine), but has no idea where his new role will lead him.

WALKIN' THE DOG is actually an interrelated short story collection that works because Walter Mosley makes each story show growth in Socrates. Nothing is sacred especially society's major social, political, and racial issues as the star of the book lives up to his more illustrious namesake with a street corner philosophy. Readers will enjoy this anthology and want to read the first Socrates story (see ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED, ALWAYS OUTGUNNED) as well as demand from Mr. Mosley a follow-up tale that shows what happens to the lead protagonist at the crosswalk of life.

Harriet Klausner

Mr. Mosley has written a brilliant book that explores the concept that freedom begins and ends in the mind. The physical world may put hand cuffs or handicaps on you, but you choose how you respond to those limitations. The roads you choose not to take limit your freedom far more than what anyone else will do to you. This is a timeless novel that will probably be considered a classic in the future. I encourage everyone to read it. You have much to gain.

Socrates Fortlow is an ex-con who is just trying to survive. His dreams are haunted by memories of his small cell and the murder he committed that placed him there. The book opens to find him operating like a future butterfly in its cocoon. He is constrained by his violent feelings, his distrust of progress and good fortune, and his discomfort with people. Like many who have sinned (all of us), he has many good qualities. He is mentoring a teenager he works with, will do more than his share of the work required, quietly endures mistreatment by white people, and cares for a badly handicapped dog who has only two legs. His great strengths are that he is interested in controlling his own actions (rather than just striking out in blind anger) and making the best moral choice (taking full responsibility for his actions).

Throughout the story, Socrates develops and finally emerges from his cocoon, and begins to seek out new opportunities and experiences. As a result, he grows as a person and as a moral force. Gradually, he begins to lose the mental bonds that hold him back from fulfilling his mighty potential.

The book is filled with much violence, hatred, and inhumanity. That backdrop will disturb many readers. Yet, for many people, life is like a battleground, and what is portrayed here is realistic in terms of inner city life for many black people.

On the other hand, the book is filled with much love, generosity, and caring. Seeing how these positive and negative forces confront and affect each other is extremely interesting in the plot that Mr. Mosley has developed. You will find it difficult to anticpate what will happen next, because of Mr. Mosley's inventiveness.

Like the Greek Socrates, Socrates Fortlow asks many questions and his questions help others to find their own solutions, as well. You will find yourself pondering the questions, long after you close the book.

The dog, Killer, is an astonishing metaphor for Socrates' life (and indeed our own), and will help every reader to appreciate the nuances in this story.

As much as I enjoyed the Easy Rawlins series, this book vastly transcends those fine books to move into the rarified air of great literature. Many will see the obvious similarities to Les Miserables, but I found Socrates Fortlow to be a greater creation than Jean Valjean was. Also, Mr. Mosley does a better job of character development with Socrates Fortlow than Victor Hugo did with Jean Valjean.

After you finish this story, think about where pessimism has stolen choices from you. What else can you choose to do that will set you free from the limitations of your mind? Like Killer, realize that you may need some help from others in order to accomplish everything you potentially can.

Choose to live free of your preconceptions!

I imagine most Americans would think the above title reflected historical fiction rather than fact.

The fact is that most contemporay Americans thought the Burning of Washington would live on forever in the American mind as an ignoble moment of shame and humiliation. That it has largely been forgotten is a testament to how America has changed and grown since 1814 -- rendering what has become one of our "little wars" largely to the history books with an occasional reprieve when the Star Spangled Banner is considered. It is worth considering that President Madison is remembered today as the father of the Constitution, and not as the rascal who allowed the White House and the Capitol to be burned by a foreign army during a war so ineptly fought by our side. I imagine that had this occurred in any number of other countries, his moment of singular presidential humiliation would attach itself more largely to his name. We remain an optimistic people.

Anthony S. Pitch has written a very good account of the British occupation and sacking of Washington, D.C. in his book "The Burning of Washington. The British Invasion of 1814." The author makes good use of contemporary sources and observations from American and British combatants as well as civilians. The background is sketched well enough to allow the reader to understand why the British stood at the mouth of the Potomac River ready to invade our capitol city. Personalities of American and British commanders as well as President Madison and especially Secretary of War John Armstrong - to whom can be attributed the immediate blame for Washington's unprepardness - are well summarized to give the reader a good feel for how individuals affected the events covered in the book.

The story covers the Battle of Bladensburg, the march on and occupation of Washington, the burning of the public buildings (focusing on the Capitol and White House), as well as the British attempt to take Baltimore, which failed before the walls of Ft. McHenry. Francis Scott Key's penning of our national anthem is also covered, as well as the British retreat. The book ends with summaries of the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, as well as Jackson's incredibly lopsided victory over Gen. Packenham before New Orleans.

All in all this is a good and interesting book. The author keeps the pace moving while giving enough detail to both satisfy curiosity as to why events are unfolding as they did as well as add the flavor and feel that can come from a judicious use of diary entries and contemporary accounts. I recommend this to any history buff who would like to know more about a now overlooked -- but still astonishing - part of American history.

This fast-paced, incredibly well-researched book changed my view of American history. I never appreciated that the War of 1812 was, in fact, our second war of independence, one which we came close to losing. I never knew that the terrified U.S. government, in fleeing Washington, allowed the British Army to literally amble into town virtually unopposed and burn most of the government buildings (yet treat the populace with unimagined civility!). I never knew much about the inspiration and writing of the Star Spangled Banner and the importance of the Battle of Baltimore. And I was fascinated to learn that the Battle of New Orleans, in addition to being one of the worst defeats ever suffered by the mighty British Army (mostly at the hands of Andrew Jackson and a bunch of Kentucky and Tennessee hillbillys, no less), was a battle that never should have been fought. I have generally found history books to be ponderous reading, written more for the benefit of academic historians than for popular consumption -- often only giving me added details about things I already knew about. This book is different. It's crisp, fast-moving and very authoritative. Anthony Pitch has written a focused and important book about a pivotal period of American History about which most Americans, I suspect, know little. And after you read it, when you sing "The Star Spangled Banner", you'll appreciate with greater depth, possibly for the first time, what you're singing about. I loved the book!

Anthony Pitch has written a memorable account of a seminal event in American history. His portrayal of the British burning of our nation's capitol is an exciting, fast-paced description of events which catch and hold the reader's attention from the first to last page. Pitch's suspenseful story captures the essence of what is best in historical nonfiction - the ability to depict events in an accurate and yet dramatic style, painting word pictures in a crisp, authoritative fashion which entrances the reader. This book is a must for the library of every history buff, and for that matter, for every civic-minded citizen. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be made into an intriguing motion picture.

In "This Side of Paradise," Fitzgerald recounts Amory Blaine's journey from childhood to adulthood, a journey that he himself was just starting in the writing arena. "This Side of Paradise" has moments of brilliance that rival some seen in his later works but it is missing something that makes the later works truly memorable and classic. I recomend this book if you are trying to gain a complete understanding of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his life, but if you only read occasionally, one of his other books or his short stories would be more enjoyable.

I was about to pass this book up in order to buy The Great Gatsby, but someone reccomended me to read this one first before I got to read the other books by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I have to say it was a excellent introduction to the author; I've also been told that this book is one of Fitzgerald's less accomplished works, and I did find it a bit lacking on something, I don't know what, but I enjoyed it anyway. Amory Blaine, although richly described, is not a particularly likable character, but he is certainly bright and his capacity for self analysis is amazing, though his little why-is-everyone-but-me-an-idiot attitude can grate in your nerves sometimes. Oh well, I guess that can be forgiven, considering his age; I also believe (sometimes) that at my ripe old age of nineteen I already know all I'll ever need to know about pretty much everything. Speaking of which, I loved that line, "I know myself, but that is all", I think it about sums up the whole story. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Written when F. Scott was a mere 23 years of age, This Side of Paradise elevates itself as a seminal and ground-breaking semi-autobiographical novel that inexplicably remains vastly underappreciated as of today. Amory Blaine manifests himself as a veritable study of egotism, romanticism, idealism, and intense disillusionment. Amory proves to be an endearing and highly affable young protagonist. The prep school and Princeton years of supercilious and pretentious egotist hedonism abound immensely in energy, innocence, and vitality.

Through the despair of his failed love with Rosalind et al, his disenchantment with his advertsing job, and the inseparable gloom and despair of WWI, Amory enters into a reproachful state of disillusionment and cynicism subsequent to "The Great War". Fitzgerald, the acclaimed golden boy of his aptly named Jazz Age, emodies in Amory "a new generation grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken."

Amory undergoes a catharsis of sorts in purging his tragic loss of innocence due to the war with his heavy drinking and nihilistic behavior. Nonetheless, he regains a semblance of his former confidence and intensity at the conclusion of the book, "yet the waters of disillusion had left a deposit on his soul." Is Amory the same romantic egotist that we witnessed at the onset of this powerful work? Not by any stretch of the imagination. However, through his despondent adversity, his intellectualism survives as well as his somewhat frayed, yet repaired sense of hopeful idealisism for the future - whatever it may bring. A strikingly similar ending to Hemingway's later masterpiece The Sun Also Rises, n'est-ce pas?

It took me a few days to open this book but when I did I couldn't put it down. Once I started reading it, I finished it in 24 hours. I've read several others by E. Lynn Harris but I only read them by chance not because I'm a big fan. Now I have to read Not a Day Goes By since I didn't realiaze this was a sequel.

I enjoyed the characters and was transfixed to the book, but was disappointed with the ending. The way he left this thing with Desmond & Yancey so unfinished it seems like he has already planned another book...And he worked up this situation with Basil and Nico only to have nothing happen with them in the end. Basil and Rosa is another area that was short...I felt he should have had Rosa re-enter the picture a little while earlier and that was stupid story line to have her say she wanted to raise the baby alone - no one wants to raise a child alone. And for Ava to go down without a cat fight was out of character for her. Another thing was Raymond Tyler - there was something he was about to do but he was never mentioned again. This book started out like a big juicy green grape but ended up ended like a dried up raisin. I felt the same way about Abide With Me. I will not pay full price again for another of these books. I have truly been enlightened about gay and bi relationships, but the only thing that makes me want to keep this book is the beautiful work done on the front and back cover.

I am still in love with E. Lynn Harris and the characters he has created. When I heard his new book was coming out I couldn't wait to buy it and once I had it I stayed up all night to find out what happens to my favorite people. If you a fan of Harris'work than this is a must read. If you are not then you simply have to buy Invisible life, Just as I am and all the other books to be drawn into his carefully created world. I was happy to hear that Harris had revived Basil and the crew and even happier to find that he had not taken them down an unfamilar road as many authors do. I applaud Harris' ability to maintain the intergrety of his characters (yes, Basil and Yauncey have intergrety). He has continued to spin a tale that is not only believable, but fasinating. I find myself living in their world, feeling their feelings. It's good to put my troubles aside and worry a little about old friends. Harris also doesn't let you forget about his starter characters, he tells us about Raymond, Nicole & Jared, he even gives us a taste of Zurich and Sean. I appreciate that he hasn't forgetten about his past characters and that he knows we haven't either. In his last book I was afraid of what Basil would do to others, in this book I find myself afraid of what others would do to Basil. I loved it and know that any true fan will love it too!

I am a huge fan of E. Lynn Harris. I have read everything he has written. Anyway The Wind Blows brings back the characters from Not A Day Goes By (Yancey, Basil, & Ava). Raymond Tyler makes a cameo apearance, and there is a new character, Bart. Yancey is usy being the diva she was born to be. Her singing career finally takes off. She is way past the days of Broadway. What surpises me is the fact that she comes forth with the truth about Madison. She ends up being a totally different person than the person we first met. Basil is still walking on both sides of the fence. Bart is bold enough to actually try and catch him out there (of course with the help of Ava who thinks she still has a score to settle). Basil finally gets something he's wanted for a long time. You'll have to read and find out what it is. In his darkest hour, Raymond Tyler comes to his rescue. He learns who his real friends are. Nico, definitly isn't someone I see in Bro. Harris' next book. Any Way The Wind Blows was not Bro. Harris' best work, but it was still worth it. I can't wait for the next book.

Fitzgerald may not have been overly fond of his short stories, but his writing skill and insight shine through anyway. In The Ice Palace and Bernice Bobs her Hair and the Four Fists in particular, Fitzgerald captures individuals struggling with themselves. Who/what should they be, and why? While I wasn't too fond of the pirate story, as it lacked these elements, the other stories in the book show a depth of understanding and introspection that makes for a wonderful, thoughtful read.

Fitzgerald's stories manage to unite his otherworldly grasp of the fluctuations in the human soul. He is a master at presenting its contrivances and vanities as things that happen to people. The tension in these tales rises with almost unconscious force. Red herrings of possible conclusions are whispered but almost in the style of a trickster. Someone always gets conned and someone unmasked- all within that now long-gone era that held a fullhouse of interesting details and premonitions of an ominous future. "Beatrice Bobs her Hair" always has something more to say about savage young ladies. It deserves its place, I think, in every highschool English curriculum. The spoiled rich girls inevitably fall madly in love- with the cads or the tricksters. It was interesting to read "Benediction" in this era of the priest scandals. How priests were seen by Fitzgerald, or perhaps how he conceived his alter ego- is apparent in his return to his natural self through the heroine's choice at the end. This writer always has a trick up his sleeve for the unpredictable conclusion.
I am surprised that there are not more raves over this collection, but perhaps that is the nature of the post modern era. I on the other hand -rave. Story, resolution, all those little formulas that separate the artist from the amateur in the impossible short story form. Fitzgerald, except for perhaps in Gatsby, never achieved such form and plotting in his novels. His youth too, can be sensed in the humorous and rather light-hearted manner by which he casts his characters and those obstacles that they encounter.

This collection of short stories takes a candid look at America in the early 20th century. There isn't a stinker in the lot, but I think "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is my favorite. Fitzgerald has a way of making his readers connect with unlikeable characters that seems almost magical.

This is an amazing and superbly written book. I stayed up most of the night to finish reading it; I literally could not put it down. It's not often that I can describe a book at filled with gritty realism AND hauntingly beautiful writing, but that is my best summary of this fictionalized biography of Marie Laveau. However, while I appreciate what the author accomplished in explaining the troubling aspects of the Marie Laveau legends, this book was not a fun read for me. Then again, when I watch TV or go to the movies, I choose comedies, so I want to stress that this is purely a matter of taste. This book is a fabulous page-turner, and I am grateful for the deep historical research and insights this book provides. If you prefer realism to fantasy, or savor rich and vivid writing above all, you'll like this book.

VOODOO DREAMS is not the type of book that I generally read for entertainment, however, it was what I was carrying around at the time until my next novel, so I read it, and had the nerve to enjoy it. A novel of Marie Laveau, from childhood to adulthood, the next voodoo queen for her people, Marie was raised in the bayou of Louisana, purposely by her grandmother, to live as best as she can, despite the isolation of living in the woods. During this time, she has visions of a man who will acknowledge her abilities and use them for his own gain. Despite her grandmother's attempts to keep her ignorant of her powers and her past, especially of her mother, Marie rebels until she leaves the haven she has known for a world that exist during the time of the slave ships and the free black men who must have papers to prove it. Marie is automatically drawn into a quickie marriage to provide her stability, while being drawn to a man who will destroy her mentally, emotionally, and physically in order to obtain his desires of dominance over the blacks who believe in voodoo. During this traumatic time, Marie's powers will prove to be more than just a lark. They will show her how to survive, and who to trust. They will also act as tools of revenge toward those who have already engineered her destruction. She will also realize that just because she has the gift, doesn't mean she's the only one. A novel with a right mixture of love, betrayal, friendship, lust, and voodoo, only the sturdiest of readers will attempt to take this book on, and also like it.

While reading this wonderfully written novel, I found myself having dreams about Marie Laveau. Rhodes did such a terrific job of dramatizing the legacy of this remarkable woman, I felt that I knew her personally.

Whether or not one believes in or practices Voodoo, this book is an insightful and entertaining read.

Candace

When I read the jacket for Fearless Jones I immediately wanted to compare Paris and Fearless to Easy Rawlings and Mouse. The characters seemed to be the same: straight and arrow and the wild guy with L.A. as a backdrop.
I have seen the errors of my ways and have gladly welcomed Fearless Jones into my library. Paris Minton is literally minding his own business when trouble in the form of Elana Love comes walking through the door. As Paris and Fearless search for Elana they get caught up in a web of lies and thieves searching for a lost treasure.
Set in the 1950's Mosley delivers a great period piece. The characters are developed and they feel "real". Each page left me wanting more. If you are looking for a good mystery and are tired of the same cookie cutter factory drivel that seems to be the norm, here is the book for you.

Paris Minton has it made--he owns a used bookstore so he can read all day and he's one of the few black entrepeneurs in the 1950s Watts (Los Angeles). When a beautiful woman walks into his shop, though, he knows he is in trouble--and boy is he right.

Fortunately, Paris has a friend who can deal with trouble. Once he bails Fearless Jones out of jail, he has a fighting chance and the two of them spend the rest of this fine novel battling for their lives, and trying to uncover the secret to a suspected multimillion dollar fortune.

Author Walter Mosley does a wonderful job describing black life in the 1950s--where police brutality against blacks was expected and where driving with a white woman could get a black man lynched. Even better, Mosley develops two characters in Paris and Fearless who, although completely different, both pursue their goals of justice despite terrible obstacles.

I found FEARLESS JONES to be a riveting mystery. The novel is not perfect--the mystery had a few loose ends I would have liked to see wrapped up, but these are minor quibbles that shouldn't interfere with the reader's enjoyment.

Excellent and highly recommended.