James Swain writes fun books. I can't imagine anyone who would not enjoy his latest. It's the third novel featuring Tony Valentine, a retired former cop who now works as a casino consultant catching cheaters. He's a little older than your usual protagonist, but that only makes him more endearing. He's a pretty well developed character as well. His difficulty interacting with his son and his neglect of his caring neighbor show the reader that he is far from perfect. However, what he does is catch cheats, or crossroaders as Swain calls them, and at that, he is very good indeed.

Swain's books are worth reading if only for the insight into the world of scams, cheats, and hustlers that he gives us. Each of his three books revolves around Valentine's investigation of a major scam. In Sucker Bet, it begins with a blackjack hustle but moves quickly into a major college sports scandal. While he is investigating, Tony frequently gets calls from worried customers asking him to look at security video or inventory lists and determine how their casino is getting scammed. These little episodes, while not really part of the plot, are some of the best parts of the book.

Aside from the scams and grifts, hidden in each of his books is a pretty good mystery too. People end up dead and Tony in drawn in through his inevestigation. As with most novels of this type, Valentine's life and the lives of those he cares about are endangered. While there are better mytery novels out there, few can match the originality of James Swain.

Sucker Bet also includes perhaps one of the best characters I've ever read about. He is a chimpanzee named Mr. Beauregard, and he is amazing. I won't give too much away, but if you can keep yourself from laughing when Mr. Beauregard starts his Western "hurry-up" music, you need to lighten up.

In all, Sucker Bet is an slightly above average mystery novel with enough good character development, originality, and fun to make it worth reading for almost everyone. It might help to read the others in the series first (Grift Sense, Funny Money) but this could be read as a standalone as well. Swain is a fine novelist and I'm looking forward to more of his work. If you like this one, keep an eye out for the fourth Tony Valentine novel, set in his cop days of the late 70's, due out in 2004.

Jim Swain's third Tony Valentine novel, "Sucker Bet," is a treat.

Mr. Swain is a gambling expert as well as one the world's foremost card handlers. He has been collecting casino and gambling scams since 18\987.

He writes what he knows and delivers a fascinating insight to the social milieu of scams, schemers, hustlers, con men et al. His expertise is evident throughout the book.

He peoples the novel with colorful characters. With the gambling backdrop, we see many Runyonesque types.

The main recurring cast is solid, believable and three-dimensional. The additional heroes and villains introduced support the primary crew delightfully.

The multiple subplots skillfully weave into the main plot...keeping you on your toes and guessing all the way.

It is a taut narrative full of engaging language, complete with tragedy, humor and action.

Anyone interested in gambling, card playing or a good mystery yarn will appreciate "Sucker Bet."

Didjaknow that casino security cameras see thru red clothing?

I have to admit that I set out wanting to like this book, as the previous two in the Tony Valentine series, Grift Sense and Funny Money, were both winners. But Swain has really hit his stride with his 3rd outing. I think the best review I could give would be a direct quote from the book's cover, and it comes from none other than Michael Connelly: "Wow, what a discovery! James Swain is the best new writer I have come across in a long, long time. Sucker Bet is wonderful. It snaps with the gritty feel of the truth. Swain has carefully added all of the ingredients: tragedy, humor, action and, most of all, a cast of characters that would make Elmore Leonard's mouth water." Grab this one, you won't be disappointed.

One of the out-and-out funniest and most on-target books about Hollywood I've read. This is definitely one of those books that gets better with repeated readings; you find something new every time. Other than the fact that every character in the book is bisexual (a predilection of the admittedly gay author of the book), I've yet to find another novel about the movie biz that is as telling, funny and touching all at the same time. Highly recommended.

I found this book buried in the back of my local public library, and am extremely happy that I did. I think I can say, without any hyperbole, it's one of the best books I've read in my life. I've read it about a dozen times, and each time I find something new to laugh at.

An oral history of a deranged movie producer's rise to the top, fall from grace, and return to power, there are more laughs and over the top situations in this book than in any other. The discussion of the flying pigs had me on the floor, crying my eyes out because it was so funny. While the situations are over the top, never once does the book cross over into being ridiculous or unbelievable.

I don't know of there being any real problem with the book. As I said, I've read the book many times and each time I finish I'm amazed at how excellent a writer James Robert Baker was. It's a shame he decided to end his life; I've also read his first novel, "Fuel-Injected Dreams," which is quite good as well. ...

Bottom line: if you get a chance to read this, do so immediately. You won't be disappointed.

Looking at the world through the skewed eyeslits of Hunter S. Thompson creates altered perception and thank God for it. Without a foundation in his world of paranoid, cryptofascist metaphors there is not a hope that you could begin to appreciate the ways both subtle and hammerlike that James Robert Baker japslaps the entire stomping grounds Hollywoods best and brightest. I picked it up in Germany before a trip to Greece in '90 and not only have I read it nine times but it is in simply deplorable condition due to manic thumbing of pages by close friends and those with a sense of humor that have torn through these pages at warp speed. Most of those were men but not all. There are scenes depicted in this book that are so visually stunning and dramatic it makes the fact that your attention is riveted to the laserthin beam of twisted irony that runs throughout as electricity through a conduit that much funnier. The review that should have been on what was once the front cover of my copy of "Boy Wonder" should have stated that it was the literary equivalent of flying down the freeway at midnight with the top down and the dronelike buzzing of cocaine frazzled fingers massaging your scalp. Only then would the rightous hands of the gifted few be lured into exploring the inner reaches of a parralel world. One that skitters along the wavecrest of reality only to pick up speed before crashing onto the cacophonous frenzy of slewed wit and sarcasm. Check this first novel out and beg Amazon.com to aquire more copies and hurry!!! This is a cult train that you simply MUST be on!! END

While the subject matter of this book is not for the novice, this is a must-read for anyone developing or planning to develop multi-threaded applications. I have been developing multi-threaded applications for several years and I found this book to be full of useful examples and insights on threading. It was clear, to the point, and easy to read.

This book explains every aspects of a multithreaded application. You don't have to buy a few books before you can grasp the whole concept of multithreading. If you're new to this area, I highly recommend this book as your standard text.

However, this book was written in 1996, you can only find one chapter on MFC. Hope Jim could cover more on MFC & VC++ in the next edition.

This is a very focused book. I found it a good companion book to other Windows programming books. It doesn't try to go into areas outside of it's scope like discussing MFC programming or C++ programming. If you want to know about threads and how to program using the WIn32 threading model then get this book.

It's nice having because it contains the complete King James Version of the bible as it was originally translated and published. It is one of only two published editions of the complete KJV that I have been able to find. Very few people seem to realize that the KJV included the books of the Apocrypha.

I wish that they made this available in a hardcover without the Michelangelo on the cover though.

"The fool hath said in his heart,"There is no god." That is what the Bible says. It is not a book to be interpreted by men, but one to be read and believed as it is written. What it means is not nearly as important as what it says. To better understand the whole Bible, one should begin reading in the book of John. You will learn more about the author that way

I've read the Bible over and over and remain ever-amazed at the "life" of this book. Considering how the Bible was written over such a long period of time, it is amazing it how it all hangs together. It is truly inspired by the Living God through the hands of men. This is a book you can bank your life on. Read a good, modern translation of it. I read The One Year Bible every year.

Excellent account of the planning and execution, and ultimate failure, of Operation Eagle Claw. This book is just as good as Charlie Beckwith's "Delta Force," but much less famous. It covers the overall planning of Eagle Claw at a joint-forces administrative level above Beckwith, and covers the joint-forces command of the actual mission, since Kyle was the overall commander at Desert One. The mechanical and personal failures of the helocopters and their crews are also discussed, as well as Kyle's conclusions on why the mission failed. Beckwith's book covers SFOD-Delta issues more closely, but Kyle's book examines why Eagle Claw failed.

I was the commander of the MC-130 squadron chosen to participate in the mission. Jim Kyle, author of "The Guts to Try", was my boss throughout the preparation for the mission. I had kept detailed notes on all the training, rehearsal, etc., with the intent to write my own book. I am the one mentioned on page 7 in the "guts to try" story that lead to the book's title. I was the commander of the 5 Air Force fatalities at Desert One. Col Kyle and I were raked over the coals by the US Senate and House military committees with Kyle taking most of the heat over the accident. I went on to be the chief air planner for preparation for the second attempt buy Kyle was replaced by General Richard Secord as the senior Air Force member of the task force. I therefore surrendered by notes to Kyle and helped him put together the book rather than pursue my own. He did a remarkable job in telling the story correctly. Out of the ashes of Desert One has emerged a capability to do Special Ops better and with few casualties. "The Guts to Try" is an important accounting of the bottoming out and rebirth of Special Ops. Few people realize how much our capability improved during the 5 1/2 months of preparation--this book helps the reader realize that there was more to be proud about associated with Desert One than is apparent. Special Ops would have achieved its current high capability eventually---but Desert One and Jim's book got us there quicker. Roland Guidry,...

This exhaustive description of the planning and execution of Operation Eagle Claw, the attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages, gives the reader a sense of how complex the mission was. There is an old aphorism about the military that says, "The amateur talks about tactics and strategy while the professional talks logistics." This is one of the few military books I have read that provides enough (almost too much depending on your taste) detail about what it takes to carry out a mission deep in enemy territory. At the beginning, after realizing the problems they faced, I could not see how they could succeed. That they came as close as they did is what is truly amazing. It also speaks to the decrepit state of the military seven years after the end of the Viet Nam War. They had the men but lacked adequate resources. Fortunately changes were coming. This story helped to lead the way.

The Anonymous Author of this rather remarkable text has done the public a profound service. (S)He has managed to sweep aside the cobwebs of mystery-mongering-occultism, and unlock the fetters of will-to-power-magic. Sound Philosophy and Theology combine in this work revealing the integrity of its author. In citing not only Christian, but Kabbalistic, Magical, and Occult traditions, the catholicity of these meditations becomes apparent. The only negative aspect of the text is that it tends to get preachy and Dogmatic in chapters 7 & 8. However, if apparent dogma is read mystically, these chapters, too, shed valuable light. A must for Christian Contemplatives and for all Hermeticists wether they place themselves under this rubric or not!

The author of this book truly overwhelms the subject matter with himeself. His personality and his philosophical lens (Catholic hermeticism/occult Christianity)so dominate that it is difficult to get a sense of the Tarot in its own right. Thus I do not recommend this book for those beginning Tarot study. That being said, the writer has a wonderful, convoluted, complex mind.....very opinionated and judgmental in some matters, very humanist and tolerant in others. Some of the passages are heavy, dense and ponderous.......others are sheer music and lift you up to the stars......Although his teachings on mysticism are what I bought the book for, it's also a fascinating read for his critiques on the thinking of many 20th century (and earlier) writers. A much needed antidote for the literal-mindedness which has overtaken the Christian churches through the course of the past few centuries.

I found this book in a public library six years ago, and have been studying it almost every day since.To say that it has changed my life is an understatement.In the final chapter the Dear Unknown Friend invites the reader to complete the book that he has started and continue with the minor cards - I have dedicated my life to doing this.

The cards of the tarot are a little like an encrypted message from God. The message is to be found in the images on the cards, but we have to decode them to understand their meaning.In other words, we see the message but do not register its meaning in our brain. This is the wonderful mystery of the cards which this author suceeds in revealing. Any one who thinks that all Tarot books are the same, should read this one. They will be amazed to see how much depth can be found in seemingly simple picture cards.This work goes very deep, but not quite deep enough.

I thoroughly recommend this book, despite some differences of opinion of the meanings of certain cards.This work is more than half way there I believe.I hope to bring the "other half" to light, with the Lord's help. 23/01/2001 H

The book was very informative, filled with a lot of details, brought from various points of view (amateur sailors, Search and rescue personnel, meteorology staff etc.)

However, I felt that the sequence of the various chapters can be improved. It is very distracting when you read a story about a crew that is abandoning ship into the liferafts and all of a sudden you stop. This is especially hard when the story is a known one that previously circulated through media and among sailing enthusiasts in the marine industry. Knowing that something went wrong with those liferafts and that people lost lives, it was very distracting to stop reading at the "abandon ship" point and continue with other chapters about some other matters. (This is very strong in the case of the chapters "Winston Churchill 1" & "Winston Churchill 2").

Other than the confusing sequence of going back and fourth among the various events, I felt that the writer did an excellent job describing everything in details. It gives the reader a feeling of almost participating in the race, being in danger and being involved in the rescue.

I finished this book on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles...with one disaster after another occurring in this massive storm, the writer keeps the reader actively turning pages throughout the book. You would not believe the bravery of everyone involved, from the actual racing teams to the rescue teams, not one person was left unphased by this experience.

I am not an active sailor now, but with some experience in racing with a crew on sailboats, I found the account of this true story gripping.

Certainly, a fun book to read, even if you are not into sailing. It may even convince you to never go open ocean sailing!

A gripping story of an exciting yet tragic event. The book is written in such a fashion that it is even more dramatic and nail-biting because of its lack of hype and superlatives. Were it not for the spectacular photos the storm and the heroic feats would appear to be fictitous. The stuff of exaggerated old sea stories. Every sailor, in fact anyone who has ever been on an ocean, will find this book frightening but will not be able to put it down. I started reading it on a plane, continued in a NY cab (anyone who has been in a NY cab knows how difficult that is), read it standing on the subway and finished it at 3am, all on the same day.

It is impossible to write about Robert Kennedy in adult life without writing about his brother, John Kennedy. Hilty does a very thorough job of portraying Robert Kennedy, the dedicated, hard working, determined brother, warts in all in a fair and impartial way. Throughout this book, one sees the "metamorphosis" of Robert Kennedy. He is the man who works behind the scenes, protecting his brother's interests to his maximum extent. He is the man who pushes his brother forward while sublimating his own interests, needs and identity. It is only in the tragic aftermath of the President's death does Robert Kennedy, in full adult form emerge -- the man who immersed himself in classical literature, the man who became a personal crusader for civil rights related issues, the man who made it his business to know minorities and persons living in poverty. It is during the last nearly half-decade of his life that the full face of Robert Kennedy is shown to his constituents -- the man who doggedly pursued Teamsters and Mafiosi in the 1950s takes that same dogged persistence to the political arena where he runs on his own right. He is a voice for the disenfranchised, a voice for those who share his vision. He was a man who provided hope during a very turbulent period in history marked by war and national violence. It is the opinion of this reviewer that Robert Kennedy is certainly the more interesting of the brothers. His personal, political and personality development is very interesting to watch and track. He was certainly a man who came across as very sincere in his efforts and one cannot help wondering what the outcome today would be had this man lived.

This is a book well worth reading.

James Hilty brings to life the force behind the Kennedy Presidency -- Robert Kennedy. Hilty states "That we speak at all of a Kennedy Legacy...is because of Robert Kennedy...That we connect the Kennedy name to issues of social justice and equity is also the result of RFK's work after the death of (JFK)." Dispelling the American Myth of Kennedy "deity," while focusing on the Kennedys as human beings and, above all, politicians, Hilty eloquently takes the reader back into the Kennedy era, conveying the story as it occured...with RFK functioning in many circumstances as a "co-president." RFK served as a "brother protector" to JFK, as the older brother's campaign manager as well as guardian of JFK's presidency. Called "number one and half" by some presidential insiders, Robert Kennedy was consulted by the president on virtually every issue of monumental importance. Access to the president often had to first pass the younger brother. Hilty further portrays RFK as a good person who had become "champion of the outcasts, the Jeremiah of the sixties." It was the younger Kennedy who pushed and advanced civil rights. *Brother Protector* takes the readers to RFK's life just past his brother's assasination, leaving them anxious for the second volume of this innovative, capturing historical account of one of the most intriguing statesmen in US History.

Professor Hilty provides an excellent study and examination of Bobby Kennedy. Though this is an enormously hefty read. For those new to Bobby Kennedy, a more manageable introduction might be a rather recent book called Robert F. Kennedy: A Spiritual Biography by Konstantine Sidorenko. Though in contrast to Hilty's (brilliant but somewhat unwieldy) tome, this slim short form biography covers Kennedy and his life in great depth and the book's brevity will not disappoint serious biography readers. It is particularly an excellent book to take up before plunging in to Hilty's.

For 30 years, Parish has been a film historian extraordinaire. . . and he just keeps getting better. Except for hardcore fans, Jet Li remains a martial artist about whom little is really known in this country, but Parish, as always, delivers the goods - from Li's humble beinnings to his status as a reigning and legitimate international film star. Along the way, Parish examines the infrastructure of the Hong Kong, Chinese, and Hollywood film industries, illustrating how each has impacted the ascendancy of Li, both as a star and as a man. A must read for any fan. . . and a good, informative read for anyone else.

With his Jet Li biography, James Robert Parish provides his readers with another interesting and insightful book about film. Parish's sympathetic, informative and entertaining narrative traces Li's life from his days as a martial arts student to his success in Hong Kong action flicks and finally Hollywood stardom. If you're interested in Chinese and Hong Kong films, or in action films in general -- or if you're just a fan of good film writing, this is your book.

In typical Parish fashion, a well researched bio of film star Jet Li. The narrative traces the young Li from his humble childhood that was focused on wushu training, through the emerging Hong Kong martial arts film industry, and ending with the international star status Li has attained. The book also provides keen insight into the growth of the martial arts film genre and Li's personal and professional growth as an actor. A good read for anyone interested in Jet Li's career, or the history of the martial arts film in general.

This is a very well-written book about the history of the famous Alamo mission in San Antonio. Roberts and Olson do a good job of telling about the background of the mission all the way from when it was built by Spanish missionaries until the past decades. The opening few pages show a side of the battle of the Alamo that is not often thought about. It opens with James Butler Bonham sitting on his horse looking down upon the besieged Alamo mission. What would have happened if he just rode away? Instead, Bonham rides into the Alamo with his message.

This book is very informative on everything Alamo. Ranging from Clara Driscoll to the de la Pena diary, John Wayne to Fess Parker, this book has it all. It also gives background on the Texas War of Independence from the Mexican Army's perspective as they march north to crush the rebellion. Very interesting and a good read for history fans and especially Alamo buffs. Visit the Alamo! It is well worth the trip.

The first half of "A Line in the Sand" gives a good overview of the history that led up to the famous siege of the Alamo from both the Mexican and Texas settler perspectives. The battle itself and its aftermath (the Texan victory at San Jacinto) are given a good overview as well. Along the way, the authors attempt to portray the battle for what it was, free of either liberal condemnations of the defenders as imperialisist or reactionary attempts to elevate the defenders to God-like status. The truth lies somewhere in the middle of the elevated rhetoric. The defenders made a galliant stand against an authoritarian despot, but they did so in defense of slavery among other things. Whatever else they may have been, the stand of Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, Colenol Travis and the others remains unassailable as an act of bravery.

The second half of the book focusses on the history of the shrine since the battle. It covers preservation attempts and the lionization of the battle by such 20th Century luminaries as Walt Disney and John Wayne. The Alamo has become a powerful political symbol, a fact that was emphasized particularly during the Vietnam war.

All of this adds up to a fascinating and very well written book. The only flaw is that covers the first part too quickly, giving more of an overview than an in-depth history. Nevertheless it is still an informative and enjoyable read.

This is a very enjoyable book that both tells the story of the siege and battle of the Alamo and the development of the myth and symbol of the Alamo in Texan and American memory. The account of the Texas revolution and siege are balanced and scrupulous, carefully distinguishing between what we know and we infer. That account makes up the first half of the book. The second half relates the cultural history of Alamo preservation and its place in the current "culture wars" and revisionist history. An interesting account of the making of both the Disney "Davy Crockett" series and John Wayne's "The Alamo" feature in this latter half. I recommend the book highly. The history of the siege and battle is fairer and more balanced here than in Jeff Long's "Duel of Eagles."