A helpful book to find one's own voice and style in writing based on personality preferences. It also has some practical suggestions for finding the right words regardless of the assignment and your workplace position.

It's easy to see why Middlemarch is a classic. The theme of reality not living up to one's ideals is a thread that runs through the lives of most of the major characters, and is instantly recognizable and relevant nearly a century and a half after the book was written.

Idealism is most evident in Dorothea Brooke. She wants to lead a learned life of service to others, but Casaubon is not interested in teaching her much, and the great work she initially believes he is writing is an irrelevant, disorganized bunch of notes. Tertius Lydate is also an idealist whose ambition is to make contributions to the medical field. Before he marries Rosamund Vincy, he sees her as the feminine ideal, a woman who will provide unquestioning support and an emotional haven. Instead, she turns out to be a self-centered spendthrift who ennervates him. He ends up with no money or energy for his research, and must concentrate on making enough money to support his wife's extravagance. Interestingly, the characters who end up the happiest, Mary Garth and Fred Vincy, lack such lofty ideals.

One of Eliot's strengths is her sympathy and compassion for her characters, despite their faults. However, she is no stylist, and I found her prose to be awkward and stilted. The reader needs to be patient with this book, because Eliot's style makes it somewhat difficult to get through.

Middlemarch has been described as the one Victorian novel written for grownups. Here, Eliot combines the multiple and interlocking plot lines so beloved by the Victorians with adult characters facing real problems. Particularly engaging is Dorothea Brooke's efforts to find a way to serve, if not achieve, greatness. Rather than undertake some great work herself -- something that Victorian women were not encouraged to do -- she chooses to dedicate herself to supporting a man that she mistakenly believes to be creating a major work. Similarly, Lydgate's slow downfall is realistically portrayed. Unlike many of the works of Dickens, Middlemarch's multiple plots work well together. If you have not read anything by George Eliot, this is the book to begin with.

This is a beautiful and romantic novel not to be missed by any fan of classic literature. The thick volume (795 pages) may be an instant put-off for some readers and the story does take a little while to develop, but TRUST ME, once you get past the first 50 pages, you'll be HOOKED and finding it difficult to put down the book.

I love George Eliot's style of writing - beautifully and distinctively eloquent and expressive, and with such observance and skills in depicting the depths and complexities of human relations and the demands and passions of the heart. The book also explores the issues of "class" (e.g. in the courtship between gentleman Fred Vincy and working class Mary Garth), "money" (e.g. questions raised over Featherstone's will after the old miser's death), "politics" (on elections and the cause promoted by the 'liberal' Middlemarchers), "scandals" (especially concerning the dark secrets of the respected banker, Mr Bulstrode) and even "murder" - all portrayed brilliantly in high drama and with engrossing suspense.

My favourite character is the heroine, the virtuous Dorothea Brooke whose life is made miserable by her marriage to the old, dull, selfish academician, Casaubon. Her later acquaintance with young Will Ladislaw who is Casaubon's cousin ("cousin, not nephew", as the vain Casaubon always makes a point to clarify, due to the apparent age gap between them) provides Dorothea with the companionship of someone who listens to and respects her views and who brings a ray of sunshine and cheer into her otherwise lonely life. Love soon blossoms between Dorothea and Will but they're forbidden to court/marry even after Casaubon's death due to a nasty clause put in by Casaubon in his will. It was pure heartache to read of the feelings that these two have for each other but aren't able to express due to societal constraints. Will knows rather early on that he loves her; it takes Dorothea longer to realize her true feelings. I got all teary-eyed when I read the part where Dorothea, alone in her room and in a state of inescapable anguish, moans out "Oh, I did love him!" [And to quote]: "... But she lost energy at last even for her loud-whispered cries and moans: she subsided into helpless sobs, and on the cold floor she sobbed herself to sleep".

The other main characters are no less interesting and will easily capture the reader's heart and compassion. There's Dr Lydgate, an ambitious man whose marriage to the vain, beautiful but spoilt Rosamund Vincy turns out to be a most exasperating and expensive affair (you have to read the book to find out just how SO). There's also a love triangle involving Fred Vincy, Mary Garth and Farebrother (the vicar). The other smaller characters such as Bulstrode, his wife, Mr Garth (Mary's father), a blackmailer (Raffles) and others are all well-painted and believable, each with their own story to tell.

Unlike some classics, this one provides a most satisfying ending because it discloses in the 'Finale' what happens later to the main characters after the "main story" has ended - e.g. up to what age they live to, if the (new) marriages are successful, how many children each couple has, etc.

"Middlemarch" is a truly remarkable classic and a wonderful, wonderful read.

My interest in John D. Rockefeller was spawned by an interest in the theory and policy underlying antitrust law in the United States. Having read fairly extensively in the realm of academic texts on the subject, I was interested in acquiring a somewhat more human insight into an individual such as John D. Rockefeller who is often held up as an icon of the unrestrained capitalism of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.

Ren Chernow's book is outstanding and provides an exhaustive description of Rockefeller's background, business and philosophy to life. Having already formed my own personal opinions about monopolies, I felt Chernow provided a well-balanced assessment of Rockefeller's behaviour and avoided the pitfalls of adoration or vilification.

The book is immensely readable and you need not be a lawyer, economist or business historian to make it through any section of the work. His research is exhaustive and leaves the reader feeling that they have truly been provided with insights into what made Rockefeller tick.

I highly recommend the book to anyone with an interest in commerce or in the history of the United States in this period. As we enter a period in which a new multi-billionaire becomes the subject of intense debate over his business practices, it is most interesting to look back on the life of John D. Rockefeller and determine the extent to which history is actually repeating itself.

5 stars - without any hesitation whatsoever.

Titan, a well-written and deeply researched biography, provides the most balanced as well as most detailed study of the one figure in 19th-century American business who is universally recognized (and often maligned) in US popular culture. It also contains persuasive evidence about the upright, religious nature of Rockefeller's career and core beliefs, from his early employment to the thoughtful melding of his philanthropic and religious interests throughout much of his adult life. His wartime activities in business get a favorable slant, as does his success in business, first as a grain and produce merchant, then by his use of monopolistic power to create the Standard Oil empire. It is a complicated story, with much of the record, especially about the 1870s, missing, and Chernow had to rely on the "overheated" memories of Rockefeller's enemies. The author reveals enough from newly accessible records to polish, if not truly refine, the place of Rockefeller in the pantheon of American business. Photos are numerous, but there are no maps to guide the reader through Rockefeller's regional, national, and finally global activities. The detailed discussion of charities and good works by this industrial leader greatly improves our understanding of him and his time. Recommended for all collections.

Succinctly put, I loved this book. Ron Chernow's "Titan" is more than a great business biography; it is one of the best biographies I've ever read. Although Standard Oil and the rise of big business in America clearly play a central role, this book is first and foremost about John D. Rockefeller: his convictions, his character, his relationship with family, friends and colleagues.

And what an interesting man he was. To put it mildly, Rockefeller was a contradiction in terms. On the one hand, he was a sincerely pious man, deeply committed to the Baptist church and a paragon of personal morality and virtue. Yet, on the other hand, he was as ruthless - and successful - a corporate executive as has ever been produced in American history, more than willing to personally ruin competitors with bankruptcy to further his personal aims. Chernow makes this contradiction the focal point of his biography, and succeeds brilliantly in capturing and analyzing how Rockefeller balanced his devout Christianity with his cutthroat business practices. He argues that Rockefeller was able to do this by ascribing his business success to the will of God, which later fueled his famous works of philanthropy in the early the 20th century.

After reading "Titan," one can't help but wonder if Rockefeller did, in fact, take advantage of some sort of divine intervention at various stages of his career. For instance, when the northwest Pennsylvania oil fields began to show signs of exhaustion, threatening the future of the domestic oil business, new deposits were discovered in Ohio that favored Rockefeller and his empire. And just as electricity began to show signs of popular adoption, threatening to ruin the kerosene illuminant market that Standard Oil had dominated, the automobile emerged on the scene, which used the theretofore noxious byproduct of kerosene production, gasoline, to operate and expanded the oil business beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

At each step of the way, from the early days as an inconspicuous refinery in Cleveland to the global leviathan battling government intervention, public animosity, and foreign competition, Rockefeller skillfully guided the corporation with the foresight and tenacity of a great statesman. Chernow brings his story to life with such vitality and honesty that both Rockefeller and his nemesis, Ida Tarbell, would likely endorse it.

This is the best spy novel - and one the best books - I have ever read. Le Carre gives a very real look at the world of espionage during the Cold War. A real novel of suspense, deceit, and intrigue. He holds you on the edge of your seat as Leamas tries, for one last time, to "come in from the cold". If you're looking for a fast-paced book, don't look here. You won't find it. And if you can't handle hard-to-follow plots, you won't like this one much either. Reading this novel makes me want to read even more of Le Carre. A must for a "real" spy enthusiast.

The book that I read is called "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold". It was written by John Le Carre and first published in 1969. The book is a very good but a complicated spy story. It focuses on the espionage back in the 1960s when Berlin was divided into West and East Berlin. The main character of the book is Leamas, a clever English spy. After finishing his job of spying in East Berlin for London, he started to drink and deteriorate. Leamas had done a good job while he was working for London, but when he retired he appeared to have no savings and no income. Being extremely poor, he resented the Organization for which he had been employed. However, one day he met other spies who worked for East Berlin and who took him to a man named Fiendler who was interested in obtaining information that Leamas had. They offered Leamas money and he accepted. The story is an astonishing one. It is mostly about the rough times a man goes through while spying and how he is left out at the end by the Organization he worked for. Trying hard to avoid poverty, he falls into a very dangerous business. The book is good because it has a lot of mystery and suspense. At the same time it is very hard to understand because it has a lot of information that makes your head spin. I don't like the characters that much. I don't agree with the desicions they make, because of their selfishness and greediness. I think that "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" is a good story. It is full of suspense and adventure. It is the story of a man who had to make a hard decision after being let down by the ones he trusted. It is a story about betrayal, hatred and jealousy. At the same time it can be very confusing because of too much mystery.

This book defined a genre. From the elegance of the language, to the betrayal and harsh brutality of the plot's finale, this novel set the standard against which all other espionage fiction of the Cold War would be judged. Whatever the truth of the matter, Le Carre's fiction created a world which is so real that subsequent spy novels departed from its parameters at their peril.

The story at the heart of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold implicates all sides in the struggle in a hypocritical conspiriacy of betrayal and disloyalty. The message seems to be that no good deed goes unpunished and that things certainly are not what they seem.

A truely great book, with characters one cares for and a deftly plotted story that both surprises and distresses the reader. The message of the book is not a pleasant one, but then the reality of Cold War espionage was not pleasant either.

Professional Active Server Pages 3.0, by Alex Homer, is
a book on developing web applications using Active
Server Pages 3.0. This book goes in depth into
developing web applications with discussions and
examples on advanced topics such as, CDO/Microsoft
Exchange Server, ADO/Microsoft SQL Server, and
ADSI/Active Directory. Homer presents the reader with a
wealth of information on advanced enterprise level
topics based on Microsoft technologies. This book is
excellent for intermediate/advanced users who wish to
learn about Active Server Pages using Microsoft
technologies, however due to the fact Homer does not
goes in depth with fundamentals of programming Visual
Basic Script, this book should not be recommended to
novice developers.

Throughout the book, Homer discusses the importance of
COM/COM+ and what that technology can do for your web
application. He writes examples of a COM+ component in
Visual Basic and shows the user how to register/load
the component into memory along with utilizing the
functionality of them in an Active Server Page. Homer
further explores the features of Windows 2000 by
introducing the features of Active Directory and
explaining/demonstrating how ADSI can connect an Active
Server Page to the Active Directory. The book goes into
further detail on enterprise level topics by discussing
how CDO interfaces with Microsoft Exchange Server.
Using CDO, a developer can access all of users Exchange
account information including mail, contacts, calendar,
etc. The book ends with performance and security issues
for web applications running on a Windows 2000 Server
and how an administrator should configure a Windows
2000 Server for maximum performance and security.

The software/technologies the book uses are based on
products/technologies developed by Microsoft. Since
Active Server Pages is a Microsoft technology, it would
be reasonable to use only Microsoft
products/technologies. However, in the real world, many
businesses have heterogeneous environments with Oracle
database servers and JavaScript web developers. The
fact that this book only exposes the reader to vendor-
specific technologies could be a down fall, however
creates a centralized focus for the reader.

This book covers a wide spectrum of advanced knowledge
with Active Server Pages, however is completely based
around Microsoft technologies. Several other authors
composed this book, which helps the reader get a
dynamic flavor of knowledge from chapter to chapter as
one can see. Any intermediate/advanced web developer,
interested in enterprise web application development,
should purchase a copy of this book for reference
purposes.

This book is called *Professional* Active Server Pages -- and rightfully so. Believing that I was on the Professional level, I purchased this book and read most of it before placing it on my desk at work for reference. Every once and a while I picked up this book with a specific ASP question in my head and tried to find the answer within its pages. This was a mistake.
If you're looking for a reference book, check out *Beginning* Active Server Pages -- also by Wrox press. Otherwise this book is great. The sections on ADO and XML are well written as well as the performance tuning sections. There is information on these pages that I haven't found elsewhere and for that reason alone, this is a great book to read.
My only complaint is that there seems to be a lack of good examples. The text does contain some examples, but sometimes the concepts can overcome the reader and there needs to be a bit more clarification. More pictures, code examples and general explaining would have been very helpful.
Overall, I've been very happy with this book. Wrox Press has been turning out some great books with the Web Applications Developer in mind and I hope they keep up the good work.

Hi, I found Active Server Pages to be a pivotal book. The book was comprehensive and well written. The authors know their subject material. I write responses to question and answers for numerous questions on relating to active server pages and found topics in the book to informational; especially the chapters on com+. The book explained how com+ work, why it is the next evolutionary step in object oriented websites, and how to create your first com+ component. The introduction to Window Scripting Components was excellent. I found the information easy to understand, testable, and empowering. Also, if you new to Collaboration Data Object CDO (email messaging) this book is worth the money. In the past I've used simple mapi to do all my email which is actual fairly easy to implement and use. With CDO one can learn how to access/transmit email through an exchange server or smtp server. The CDO section was really cool, filled with numerous examples and easy to understand instructions. The whole book seems dedicated to show how microsoft technology can be used to build scalable web sites. There are a few thought provoking discussions on the current technology used to build scalable site, such as load balancing, windows 2000 dna, and com+. The only downside to the book was the sparse discussions and examples of how xml and ado and server side asp could be used to build a website. I'm not critical, this is a very complex area of discussion and instruction. I hope to hear from you.

George Orwell's Animal Farm is a superb animation of the Russian Revolutioon. The book is amusing and interesting; it includes a comic element as it synonymously demonstrates the evolution from the proletariat revolution to a totalitarian government led by the swine of the society. Orwell successfully simplified the not-so-simple theory of class stratification and Karl Marx's proposed solution of communism. Orwell's method of conveyance is incredibly inventive. He uses satire in the form of a fairy tale to share his indignation for ideological doctrines that would, if allowed, lead to the eventual destruction of a society. Each character in the story is representative of someone who was involved in the Russian Revolution. Old Major is Marx, and inspires the proletariat revolution by motivating the over-worked animals and educating them on the ways of the human beings, who represent the bourgeoisie. Orwell's creativity convinces the reader that the animals on the farm are intellectual beings, revolting against the tyranny of the humans. Animal Farm offers itself as an example of a responsible criticism of Marxism. The story gives us a peek at the Utopian vision, and then offers a long look at what results from using a Marxist approach at achieving it. I strongly reccomend this book, as it is entertaining and educational. Orwell succeeded in creating a fairy tale that evokes both sadness and laughter, while causing us to feel sympathy and even empathy for the working class animals. The book escapes complexity, but its message does not.

I have read and re-read Animal Farm since studying ithighschool, and yes it is a heart breaking allegory about the failureof organised idealogy, its also a gripping simply and sharply written story that can engage people on every level of the intellectual food chain.

Many readers will start off by pinning the signs on the donkey's backside so to speak i.e. Moses the crow who tells the overworked animals that their afterlives will be bliss represents the church. Benjamin the wise, but silent donkey is the silent intellectuals who could see what was going, but did nothing to save their own skin and so on. It still shocks me how accurate Orwell is, I can recognise a Squealer (the government publiscist talking in fanciful meaningless figures), a Napeloen and sadly too many Boxers in my own country. Strange that what Orwell wrote about the Russian revolution applies to almost any third world country today.

The simplicity of the prose of Animal farm is by design, he wanted his book to be accessable to the masses, afterall this is the man who changed his name from Eric Blair to Goerge Orwell just to appeal to the "average Joe". I don't think he would have wanted this book to be discussed by intellectuals, he wanted it to reach you and me.

Humanity has learned (in some parts of the world at least) that the only organised idealogy that works is the abscence of an organised idealogy. Utopia can never exist because 1- It can never be defined 2- It is against human nature not to strive to be better, superior, more powerful and richer then others. Unfortunate but true.

The character of Snowball is in my opinion the most important of the book. He is full of good intent, he wants to start classes for the other animals to elevate their understanding of the world. He is also a careless and unrealistic character. What Orwell is saying here is that intent without action is useless. A person who cares about injustice and can't do anything about it is no better than a person who doesn't give it a moment's thought.

Animal Farm is Orwell's masterwork, it is clairovoyant, the Soviet Union has indeed fallen. I believe the events of 1984 are only a few you years away, the government can already take pictures of your roof top. If you for some odd reason are among the few who haven't read Animal Farm, you must rectify that situation. It will make the inexplicable around you crystal clear.

This book should open the eyes of many who are caught up with the ideas of utopianism, absolute egalitarianism, and other "heaven-on-earth" ideas. Orwell does a masterful job in this short, easy, and fun to read book showing how a "utopian-oriented" revolution can go wrong. Though the book is humorous, it has a serious and solemn message for any generation. Though Orwell was a socialist himself, he had the guts to prove that "socialist" transformation or revolution of society can go wrong if the leaders of the revolution adopt "rightist" attitudes and behaviours along the process. This book shows the similarities between Animal Farm and the Soviet Union during the Stalin era. The pigs in the book represent the Soviet vanguard leaders of the revolution; the dogs the ruthless secret police; and the rest of the animals the various bodies within the USSR during the Stalin era. This book is a good reminder that no matter what words and rhetorics are spoken in the past, leaders can succumb to the influence of power and elitism and throw out their past socialist beliefs in actual behaviour. Pure forms of socialism cannot happen on this side of life. People are still inherently selfish and proud. Positivism is a dead social theory (individual genes, personalities, and brain processess do matter on how society is formed and structured). What is society? It is the product of human personalities. This should awaken the ideological slumbering of many liberals, socialists, and leftists. Orwell does a good job showing that no matter what (poor or plenty) people only seek their own self-interest when the opportunity arises.

This book is one of a number of Professor Challenger adventures of Sir A. C. Doyle. A noted zoologist (Challenger) has come across evidence that there is a plateau in South America that can be reached from deep in the Amazon rain forest in which prehistoric animals still exist. An expedition of four (Challenger, a sceptical zoologist named Summerlee, a noted hunter (Lord John Roxton), and Edward Malone, a journalist) sets out to verify this report. The arguing and interactions between the academics is interesting in that little seems to have changed in the last 87 years! It should be noted that Doyle isolates the plateau so that there is minimal interaction with the rest of the rain forest (thus, the dinosaurs can't escape). But, why couldn't the ptereodactyls spread out? This story was one of the earliest "Lost World" tales and has been made into a film a number of times. Other stories in this sub-genre owe much to Doyle and Challenger.

Professor George E. Challenger, noted scientist, says dinosaurs are still alive, and he knows where to find them. The scientific community says he's a madman or a fraud, or both. Challenger's only evidence is a bunch of blurry photographs. Fellow scientists say the photos are obviously doctored and the newspapers call it a fantasy. Boiling with rage, Challenger goes into seclusion. Anyone foolish enough to bring up the tender subject around him is liable to end up in the gutter outside his house, with a few extra lumps for the gutter press.

The only reporter brave, or stupid, enough to face the professor's wrath and get the story is Edward Malone, young, intrepid journalist for the Daily Gazette. At a boisterous scientific meeting, Professor Summerlee, a rival scientist, calls Challenger's bluff. Summerlee will return to South America and prove Challenger wrong. The young journalist volunteers to go along. Lord John Roxton, the famous hunter, can't miss an opportunity to return to the jungle and adds his name to expedition. Professor Challenger is happy they are taking him seriously, even if they don't all believe him. But what will they find in South America? A strange, living time capsule from the Jurassic period filled with pterodactyls and stegosaurs? Or will they only find vast tracks of endless jungles and Challenger's daydreams? Either way there will be danger and adventure for all.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote "The Lost World" in 1912 for the Strand magazine, the same magazine that published his Sherlock Holmes stories. It's a great Edwardian science-fiction adventure, although some may not like the British Imperialism and Darwinian racism. Still, in "The Lost World" Conan Doyle lets his hair down a little. Changing narrators from the earnest Doctor John Watson to the rash reporter Edward Malone makes for a big change. There is a good deal more humor. The students in the scientific meetings are forever yelling out jokes at the expense of nutty Professor Challenger. Affairs of the heart play a big role in Malone's life. He matures from a young swain out to impress his girlfriend to more of a wistful man-of-the-world by the end. It is a very different Conan Doyle than some are used to reading. Different, but just as good, maybe, dare I say it, even better.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created a classic dinosaur adventure story when he wrote The Lost World in 1912. The tale's narrator, Ned Malone is a newspaper reporter who joins an expedition to the wilds of the Amazon to impress his girlfriend. However, he scarcely anticipates the dangers he will confront when the expedition's leader, zoology professor George Challenger takes them to a plateau filled with dinosaurs and ape men.
Doyle's human characters are described much more richly than Michael Crichton's minimally interesting protagonists in Jurassic Park (1990), so the story hinges as much on Challenger's eccentricities as it does on dinosaur attacks or Ned Malone's quest for validation of his masculine bravado. A weakness is the lack of female characters worthy of more than passing note. Ned's fickle and heartless girlfriend makes only brief and displeasing appearances at the beginning and end of the tale. Crichton does no better with females.
Hopp's Dinosaur Wars, published in 2000, does a much better take on genders, giving equal weight to a young male/female pair who brave the dangers of dinosaurs loose in modern-day Montana. It seems that even dinosaur fiction has evolved over the years.

John Dunning, Booked to Die (Pocket, 1992)

This book's probably got a niche market in the same way that Christopher Morley's wonderful turn-of-the-century bookstore-themed mysteries did. You're going to get a lot more out of this book if you've ever trod the bibliophile's path yourself, or at least have some other kind of collecting bug in your bonnet. Otherwise, you might do well to avoid this one.

Okay, now that we've got rid of the riffraff, let's get down to brass tacks. This is a great little mystery that introduces us to Cliff Janeway, a Colorado cop who dreams of retiring from the force and opening his own rare bookstore. It doesn't matter that every other shop on the street where he wants to open his is a rare bookstore; competition doesn't apply to the types of folks who frequent rare bookstores. After all, most every copy of a rare book is different, and this gang is usually looking for that one specific typo that sets edition A apart from edition B and wants printing X; so many variables everyone's bound to hve different stock. But Janeway's bookstore dreams are a background to the novel, which is above all a mystery. There are two plotlines here. The first concerns the murder of a bookscout, onje of that class just up from the homeless who make their living buying books at Goodwill and selling them to people who know what they're worth. The second concerns a rather nasty person that Janeway's been trying to nab for years. Due to the American system of justice, the guy keeps evading capture. Everyone else in the novel wants to combine the two; they're convinced the nasty type did in the bookscout, and everyone's happy. Everyone, that is, except our fearless narrator. Things get out of hand. Complications ensue. If they didn't, it wouldn't be a mystery novel.

Where Dunning excels here is in the balance ebtween the book talk and the mystery talk. Separating the two out would make for a passable novel about the book trade (think Penelope Fitzgerald's The Bookshop as told by Mike Hammer) and a passable mystery novel (think My Gun Is Quick as told by Penelope Fitzgerald). Neither side suffers from the inclusion of the other, something which is rare indeed among novels that attempt to blend two such disparate streams of thought. Add to this Dunning's eye for detail-- the only stones that remain unturned are those necessary to set up the idea that these characters will continue on into other novels (a second Janeway novel, The Bookman's Wake, has already been published)-- and you've got a fun little read. It's not earthshaking, it doesn't break any new ground, and it's a niche. More people remember Agatha Christie than Christopher Morley, too, but that doesn't make Morley's books any less wonderful. As Morley, so Dunning. Highly recommended for those who find themselves in the first paragraph of this review. *** 1/2

Are you interested in a career change? No?Have a care when you read John Dunning's Booked To Die.This mystery and it's sequel, Bookman's Wake, have increased the population of used booksellers and book collectors ten fold. Cliff Janeway, Dunning's ex-cop cum bookseller is hardboiled with a soft center when it comes to beautiful books and women...in that order. If you enjoy books, murder and a compelling mystery, join Janeway(and tell your boss you'll finish his project as soon as you read the next chapter!)

First of all, this is just a good old-fashioned, hard-boiled detective story. Cliff Janeway starts out as a Denver homicide detective, but Dunning wisely contrives to get him out on his own. Even when he's with the police though, he's none to powerful. He does not have an amoral partner backing him up. He's unlucky at love and he's not an epicure. He's tough, but he has sense enough to be scared of the folks who are truly dangerous. In short, Janeway is a throwback to the lone wolf investigators of yore.

But then there's the unique twist that makes what could have been merely a good series into a fascinating one : Cliff Janeway is a bookman. He collects first editions of American Literature, with a particular interest in Faulkner, and in recent years has given increasing thought to becoming a book dealer himself. Ultimately, when circumstances force him to leave the police department, he does indeed open his own store, Twice Told Books.

Without taking anything away from the book as a mystery, it really derives it's energy from the world of book collecting. The book is set in 1986, so the prices cited must be hopelessly outdated, but when he talks about first editions of Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot going from $10 to $100 in the space of just ten years, that's an attention grabber. It's especially interesting that the books of horror authors like King and popular authors, like Anne Tyler, have already increased so much in value. I recognize that normal people don't spend the amount of time that I do looking for good, cheap books, but I guarantee that as you read about the details of book collecting, you'll be glancing up at your own bookshelves to see if your's are first editions (with the dust jacket, and not Book of the Month Club editions.)

Thanks to this unique angle and the character filled bookman's subculture in which it's set, this is one of the better mysteries series of recent years.

GRADE : A

I admit to approaching the reading of "The Grapes of Wrath" with some preconceived negative notions. Having it be a "required" read was also not encouraging. However, about 100 pages into the story, I became captivated by the Joad family---particularly Tom, a man of great moral integrity, and the strong-willed but loving Ma Joad who provides the family's source of strength and courage in the face of overwhelming adversity. While some parts may make you flinch in horror, others will make you sad to realize these events really happened in the land of plenty.

"The Grapes of Wrath" is an engrossing tale of one Oklahoma family seeking not their fame and fortune, but just the hope of putting a few scraps of food on the table. Join them in their clunker of a truck as all 12 of them pile in to make the long and arduous drive west to California in the hopes of finding work picking fruit. They lose family members along the way, some by death and some by choice, but they learn a lot about friendship and taking care of not only their loved ones but also the strangers who find themselves in the same dire straits as the Joads are in. Steinbeck's descriptions of the hunger, the hardship, the futile search for work, the disappointments, the hostile environment the migrants faced in California, all make for an eye-opening read. This is a great source of information on how it was for one group of people during the Depression.

It may not be one of the great novels of the twentieth century, its characters are often overly-sentimental, and its theme is relatively simple, but it is a landmark of literature for the way it portrays the Depression in the western United States. This book has been proven to be an accurate portrayal of the victims of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.

Steinbeck alternates plot-driven chapters that feature the story of the Joads with chapters that focus on the large-scale problems of the economic history of California and the psychology of groups of migrants and of the landowners. These large-scale chapters provide background information and a broad world view that gives weight to the Joads' struggle, while the story of the Joads gives the large-scale chapters a sympathetic human face.

Whether you love or hate the book, you will probably never forget this story of one family's valiant fight to survive while the world around them collapses and disintegrates.

The novel was made into an excellent film in 1940 which starred a very young Henry Fonda as Tom Joad.

Some books are better read, and some are better heard. The poetry of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath takes on even greater depth with the Okie dialect of Dylan Baker. This is probably the greatest American novel of the last century. Despite the condescending attitude of academics, this book lets us all in on our own history. Steinbeck doesn't tell us who we are, he shows us who we are by showing us what we have been. As Samuel Clemens dug up our essence in the disease of slavery, Steinbeck confronts us with the violence of our economic system. Also like Clemens, he shows how religion tends to compound injustices. But what makes this a truly great novel is that all this understanding of the world and how it works is communicated by the lives of characters so real and complex that they have become part of our personal history. We experience the depths of our own emotions and capacity to love. The final scene is perhaps the most powerful depiction of human love in all of literature.

This book brings one of the most inaccessible disasters of the 20th century, the Dust Bowl, into focus. What a mean coincidence that it had to happen when banks were going through tough times. This book, perhaps Steinbeck's best, brings the personal melodrama of Of Mice and Men on the road with a family of 14 Oklahomans. Meet the Joads, who have lived on the same land for many generations. They have killed for the land and have died for it. The bank has forclosed on the home loan, and they have been pushed out. Now they gather all they can carry with them, sell all they can't, and hit the road in a rickety car and with only about a hundred dollars and wild hopes. Grandma and Grampa are the stern, traditional voice of the family, Ma and Pa lead the family in their oddysey west, Uncle John is a booze hound with strength and grit, Noah is a strange individualist, Al is the testosterone filled young man, Tom is an ex-con who just happens to be the pragmatist and clearest thinker, Ruthie and Winfield are the wild kids, and Connie and Rose are newlyweds. I know I am forgetting someone. The book is divided into two parts: the journey to California and their heartbreaking quest to make a living. It just happens that they are members of an outcast society despised by everyone. Throughout the book they are run out of settlements, antagonized and harassed, and mistreated. A member of the oddysey is Jim Casy, a former preacher. Casy turns himself in for beating a deputy to keep Tom from getting turned in and in prison meets a man who wants to end the victimization of migrant workers. He wants to form unions. While protesting against a peach orchard (that the Joads just happen to be at) he is killed by corrupt deputies. The book is shattering in so many ways: the way the Joads are treated, how the migrants at large are treated by the cops and by the rich malevolents, and how the general people allowed themselves to be blinded by bitterness and hate. There are several deeply affecting passages: one where a bunch of oranges are dumped in a vacant area behind a Hooverville (where 'Okies' lived), then kerosene was dumped on them so that the impoverished Okies couldn't eat them; the part in which the deputies send in a starving guy to start a fight in a government camp so they can break it up (because the government camp is treating Okies like humans), one man owning a million acres and not even farming it, just owning it so he can say he owns it. These concepts of gluttony and cruelty are more than the poor migrants can take. I absolutely loved the book and think every person should read it: it shows what happens when ordinary people are hated, and how devastating and frivilous that hate can be.

Grendel, a historical literary figure. John Gardner has created a powerful human piece from the monster's point of view. Grendel is the evil monster slayed by Beowulf. But in John Gardner's book, Grendel is the protagonist and the reader sees the story from his eyes. The monster is tormented by what he does to the people, but at the same time loves the delicious killing. It's what he has to do. He watches the Danes, speculates, kills and mames, but I think at the same time, he loves them. They give him purpose. Of course Grendel is a story about the powerful forces of light and dark within ourselves and finding meaning in life. Is there a higher power protecting the world? The monster endures great lonliness. He is an outcast. That is his role. He inflicts great pain and suffers pain. Grendel is more poetry than prose. The language captures the senses. Even when one is not always clear on the meaning, it is worth the read (and more than once).

those who find this a depressing or negative book should remember who is telling the tale- an alienated, whining, confused, monster. the reader must not confuse gardner with grendel (though i admit, i did the first time reading it). this is beatiful, life-affirming work of art. and it's damn funny too. i first read it with only the tiniest bit of knowledge regarding that old english tome- beowulf. this is a book of marvelous imagery, a prose-poem really. it's unfortunate that all of gardner's other books are out of print, but this one is the best. check it out.

What if you could see into the mind of Grendel, the terrifying creature of the night from Beowulf? Well, with this book by John Gardner, you can. Brutal at times, irreverent at others, and very cynical at others, Grendel wanders around for many years watching the development of the various human tribes and the emergence of Hrothgar as a sort of king among them. He spends twelve years in a unique relationship with the king, trying first to make friends with the Danes (he is attacked) and later making raids and killing the most drunken of Hrothgar's thanes. The notorious coward Unferth (the one who later insults Beowulf) is also developed here--Grendel has such contempt and pity for Unferth that he will not kill him (thus giving him a hero's death) despite Unferth's repeated attempts to fight him.

In the poem Beowulf, Grendel is a very flat character. He is, in fact, the epitome of evil, unfeeling and cruel. He comes, he kills and eats people, he leaves. Then he comes back. This book gives Grendel a personality. He knows he is a member of the fallen (Cain's) race, and accepts that fact. He is lonely, and cannot even get companionship from his mother, who has long ceased to communicate. In fact, his only real 'friends' are the Danes he kills. Still, he knows he is dependent on Hrothgar's survival. 'If I murdered the last of the Scyldings,' he muses, 'what would I live for?'

This book gives excellent insight into the character of Grendel, and will definitely change the way you look at the poem Beowulf. Gardner's Grendel is a creature who determines to kill Beowulf for the honor of Hrothgar, so that his thanes will not have been outdone by a newcomer. I highly recommend this short work for anyone interested in the great old English epic.