After 40 some years of living Alaska, I am well aware of the difficulty and seeming impossibility of capturing the great land on film and with words. The true essense and spitituality of this vast offering often eludes our cameras and pens. John has nailed it. His enduring patience and impecable eye for the finest of nature glows from image to image, mushroom ice stands, an otter enjoying a meal, volcanic clouds balloning over stands of towering spruce, an eaglets first moment broken from the shell, in your face bears, all these images and much more inspire me to look harder, go further, and wait longer for more of Alaska than I have ever experienced. The photos are sparkled by John's unique style of writing. After recieving the book as a gift I spent long nights, reading and re-reading his tales of adventure with delight. My work takes me far from home and John's book gives me opportunity to share the true flavors of Alaska with those I meet on the trail. Thank you John for sharing your God given talents, I so look forward to the next book.

I received a copy of John Pezzenti's book,A Photographic Journey Through The Last Wilderness,as a gift through my work. John Pezzenti's photographes portray such beauty and his words flow with spirituality. John Pezzenti's gift for writing matches his talent for capturing nature at it's finest. From the incredible photo's of the birth of an eagle,to the heart felt story of the Birthday Cake Bear. As I look through this magnificent book I feel his photo's and words drawing me in. It gives me the sense that I too am able to share what John Pezzenti must have felt being there. When I was young I went on a cruise to Alaska. I knew that one day I would move to this great land. John Pezzenti's book reinforce's why I kept this dream so close to my heart for all these years. I will always cherish this gift I received and feel blessed that John Pezzenti chose to share his God given talent with the rest of us. One could keep writing but there are no words that can truely describe this work of art. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has ever dreamt about Alaska. John Pezzenti truely opens his heart to the reader with his photographes and lets us share in the beauty he has captured over the past 25 years. I look forward to being able to share his work with my family and friends,as I also look forward to his next publishing.

In my opinion, John Pezzenti's new book ALASKA is an award winner! It is like nothing ever before published. The layout is totally origional and keeps the reader excited about reading and enjoying the professional photographs taken by this world famous photographer. John Pezzenti has been my long time friend since birth and he has been so dedicated to creating a new coffee table book of Alaskan wildlife! John's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has brought him through many unconquerable feats. His trust in God's power and love has resulted in all of his needs met while working on this book. John's heart has been touched by those unfortunate people in Calcutta and out of the kindness of his heart has donated a great proportion of his earnings to the helping of these people. In my opinion of this book I would have to say that there could be no better conversation piece for your coffee table so don't wait! Order your personal copy of Alaska now!!

John Vacca explains how to apply cisco high speed network products to LAN/WAN requirements. High Speed network standards and technology are explained in this guide for planning, design and implementation. An excellent coverage of fault detection as well as future network directions are also covered. This book is a must for network professionals.

This book provides a complete overview of high-speed CISCO networks: reviewing network basics; planning for the network (including cost considerations); selecting and implementing the network; installing and maintaining the network; configuring interfaces; and evaluating performance. Particularly useful are the sections on hardware technologies and internetworking technology. The book also contains helpful information about national and international standards. The future directions chapters discuss various security issues, as well as the configuration of existing networks (e.g. AppleTalk and Novell). The appendices provide step-by-step instructions for configuring a network as well as a glossary of significant terms and examples. All in all, a comprehensive and essential reference guide for network managers.

High-Speed CISCO Networks is densely packed with the latest networking technologies, tools, plans, designs and testing methodology. John Vacca explicitly and visually explains the CISCO protocols for an IT professional and IT student to quickly comprehend and apply. While reading and working through John's book, I believe this text could be used to develop an undergraduate Computer Engineering course with applied labs for CISCO networks. Graduate students could also uses the concepts and technologies in the text for a special topics course in networking. An IT practitioner should purchase this text to enhance their ability to maintain a problem-free network environment and to quickly isolate and fix network faults.

As a fan of John Connolly since his first novel, I was excited to read The Killing Kind, his latest effort involving a murdered girl, smarmy, swindling preachers, and a missing religious cult in Maine -- the Aroostook Baptists. Charlie Parker, as always, was wonderfully written as were Angel and Louis, despite a few disappointing stereotypical lines of dialogue from these two. I don't recall from the first couple of books Louis speaking the way he did in the Killing Kind and it was a bit distracting...other than that, they were great. The character of Pudd was just plain creepy and a wonderful creation.

The book starts off at a quick pace, but then slows a bit in the middle -- so much so that I was beginning to feel a bit disappointed which is why I rank it at 4 stars and not the full 5 -- but the ending was out of this world!!! When Charlie finds what everyone was looking for, I was literally open mouthed with surprise (and disgust!). It was GREAT!! It really makes me wonder where John Connolly comes up with such gruesome stuff -- I hope he's getting the psychiatric help he needs. He puts Barker and King to shame.

Also, the ending shows a touching side of Charlie as he's called upon to try to rescue Angel...it was a nice touch and not overdone. All in all, this book was terrific and I can't wait to get the next in the series!

Excellent read!!

Since I read John Connolly's first novel, EVERY DEAD THING, I've quickly become an avid fan of his. His second book, DARK HOLLOW, confirmed my belief that here was a gifted writer who deserves a much larger "fan" base than he currently has in the United States. Now, having read his third novel in the "Charlie 'Bird' Parker" series, I know that this is an author who's on his way to the "bestseller" lists. He's simply that good! Mr. Connolly knows how to create in-depth characters that stand out, weave intricate plots and subplots that keep the reader guessing, and has a style of prose that is almost poetic in its sheer elegance. In THE KILLING KIND, Charlie Parker returns to investigate the death of a young college student, Grace Peltier, and her connection to a religious organization in Maine known as the Fellowship. It seems that she was writing a thesis on small group of religious zealots, the Aroostook Baptists, and their mysterious disappearance in the year of 1963. Her search for information eventually led her to the Fellowship and its founder, Carter Paragon. Shortly there after, she was found in her car alongside a dirt road with a revolver in her hand, a bullet in her head, and a Bible at her side. Grace's father, Curtis Peltier, doesn't believe that his daughter committed suicide, and he wants our New England P.I. to find the killer. As Charlie begins his investigation, however, a mass grave containing the skeletal remains of the Aroostook Baptists is accidentally discovered along a riverbank in northern Maine, and this also seems to be somehow tied in with the Fellowship and Carter Paragon. When Charlie starts to probe a little too deeply into the workings of this supposedly religious organization, Mr. Pudd (a man who is the very essence of evil and loves to kill his victims with deadly spiders) and his mute, female assistant are sent to warn him off the case. Since Charlie has never been one to heed the warnings of other people, he continues to plow ahead and soon people start dropping dead around him. Even when Louis and Angel arrive to offer their help, they prove to be barely a match for our illusive Mr. Pudd, and come to know the true meaning of terror on a first-hand basis. No one will ever be the same again once the evil Mr. Pudd gets his hands on them. THE KILLING KIND carries the writings of John Connolly to a much higher level of expertise than his earlier two novels. Like the first two, it has several plot lines coming from different directions that join together into a smoothly written, utterly satisfying ending. Both the familiar and new characters in the book ring true to the ear, especially the terrifying Mr. Pudd and the Jewish assassin known only as the Golem. Mr. Connolly has a remarkable skill in being able to create killers that stand out in ways other authors can only dream about. That's one of the things that make this series so much fun to read. Another aspect is the main character of Charlie Parker. This is a unique individual trying to make amends for the life he's lived by righting the wrongs done to other people. It also helps that he has friends like Louis and Angel who aren't afraid of doing a little killing, if the situation calls for it. As the series continues to develop, Charlie and the love of his life, Rachel, are drawn closer and closer to each other, and there's a wonderful surprise on the last page of this novel that makes me extremely eager to read the next one when it comes out. What makes this book stand out from EVERY DEAD THING and DARK HOLLOW is the sheer craftsmanship that Mr. Connolly displays as a writer. It's evident that he's now much more comfortable with his characters, plus I love reading his prose out loud. His sentences are written with skill of a poet, and the magic and power of his words continously transport me to a different world that's often difficult to leave. All in all, the three novels in the "Charlie Parker" series are great reads in every sense of the word that leave you starving for more from this extremely gifted author. John Connolly is definitely a writer on his way to stardom!

John Connolly is one fine writer: not only are plot and characters exceptionally well done, but his prose style is close to poetic. I re-read sections simply because the style was so grand. And he improves with each book. His protagonist in all three books is Charlie Parker, an ex-cop who left the force when his wife and child were brutally murdered in Connolly's first book, "Every Dead Thing". Characters introduced in this book follow through all three, so while "The Killing Kind" can be read on its own, many of the references to Parker's past can be better understood by a reading of the previous books. Which ain't all bad, folks, because, as I've said, this is one fine writer. Here, Parker is investigating the death of a young woman who was conducting research into a religious cult. No plot giveaways from your friendly reviewer, but be advised that the bad guy, "Mr. Pudd" is REALLY scary, and the uncertainty of the outcome persists to the very last page. I cannot recommend this book too much or praise Connolly's skills too highly. It's a "great read". And for fans, be advised that the fourth Parker novel, "The White Road", is available now from Amazon.com.uk. Trust me on this one, guys; enjoyment is guaranteed.

Gentle Readers, Austin Murphy tells us a little about St. John's University football in "The Sweet Season" and a lot about his marriage, his faith, his family, his work as a Sports Illustrated writer, the state of professional football, Catholics, and himself. He is funny. The subjects are big and serious. Murphy moves you through these subjects and the book with detailed descriptions especially with an eye for the humor in all of it. You need not be a sports fan to enjoy this story. Is it literature? Maybe...

Austin Murphy is a gold-medal decathlon winner among authors. He has finished in the money in each of these writerly categories with his book "The Sweet Season":

1) He displayed a craftsman's use of language: Murphy's subtle alliterations and "bordering-on-erudite" vocabulary (sending me to the dictionary at least a dozen times over the course of the book) were highly effective.
2) He wielded a crafty (and crackly dry) sense of humor: Even (or especially) if you're not a retired Irish Catholic from the Rust Belt, this book is, at times, "pee-in-your-pants" funny.
3) He dug deep for his facts, particularly about the background of St. John's monastery and university.
4) He was sensitive without being maudlin when discussing the things that really matter in life -- family, faith, and (not) football.
5) He nailed the human interest angle: The stand-up, wise-acre QB, the quirky but lovable Gags, the beer-drinking, cigar-puffing, down-to-earth monks, Saint Frosty Westering.
6) His use of dialogue rocked.
7) He captured the physical and emotional setting of St. John's with ease.
8) He gracefully inserted just enough bathroom humor and (at least dreaming about) sex to keep my primitive forebrain interested in the storyline.
9) He skillfully wove together disparate elements into an eminently satisfying whole.
10) Did I mention yet that the whole damn thing was "fall-down" funny? Oh, I did? But I wrote "pee-in-your-pants" funny? Uff da! Sorry for the profane use of "pee".

Signed,

A 1983 graduate of St. John's, fellow author, and the 1978 long-snapper for dear old Hastings (Minnesota) High, the 2001 Class AAAAA Minnesota state champions.

I don't know where to start on this book. I just finished it and was blown away. Austin Murphy is truly an excellent writer. At times poetic in his descriptions -- one point talking about how the coach of the college had lost a dear friend and had put up walls to protect himself -- and many other times funny. The whole book has one-liners all over.

But the purpose for Murphy isn't to be funny, it's to describe the world of Division III football at the nation's most successful college program, under an ecclectic coach with unorthodox methods. Murphy leaves behind big-time college and pro football reporting for a fall and rediscovers not just the game, but himself and his family. The way he ties football in with the rest of his life is amazing.

Murphy gets close to the players, coaches and fans of the program, and becomes involved heavily in the community of the town, getting to know the monks at the college and local fans. He rediscovers his wife and family, an area he admits neglecting for the past few years.

Perhaps the best part of the book is Murphy's transparency. He's not afraid to admit his faults. He's often the Homer Simpson of parenting: he loves his children deeply but stumbles along in raising them -- letting them stay out to midnight, having them eat junk food and taking toddlers on scary amusement rides made for adults. He's a man of contradiction, admitting he can't help but go with NFL players to strip clubs -- Sports Illustrated ought to put an end to this real soon; what kind of comments is he going to get at such a place, cat calls? -- but feels he is compromising his journalistic integrity by hanging out too much with the St. John's players. Strange logic indeed, but at least Murphy is candid enough to put his faults out there.

It's inspirational, moving, funny and very well written. Anyone who is interested in humanity -- not just football -- and getting back to one's roots, should read this book.

I think I have this weird tendency to read certain books at the wrong time. When I was around ten or twelve, one of the first books I ever read (not forced by school) was The War of the Worlds. I saw all of my friends reading The Tripods Trilogy, and I was afraid to read them because I thought they would be different from Welles' book. Back then I had this annoying tendency to read the same book over and over again. It always bothered me, because as I got older friends would still mention that book, and even though it was an idea taken from Welles, it still bugged me that I never read them. I finally read them in my twenty-sixth year, and I was not at all disappointed. I got exactly what I expected, an interesting yet simple science fiction story designed to entertain children. I cannot say it was anything astounding, but I can say that I probably would have liked it a lot. I think reading makes you smarter no matter what, and getting children to start reading today seems even more difficult with the computer influence. I think that this series of books is wonderful for a child to begin reading

I have read the first two books of the Trilogy and have found them to be wonderfully interesting and extremely thought provoking. I cannot wait to start the third. I am a 7th grade reading teacher and have been looking for literature that is both educational and fun for early teens to read. I have found The White Mountains and the rest of the series to be both. In order for teens to build strong recreational reading habits, they need good, holsom books that are exciting. The Tripod Trilogy combines exceptional story telling with an interesting plot that is both age and school approapriate. I am pleased to report that my students love the books, despite the story's lack of sex, drugs and excessive violence. I don't recommend as highly, When The Tripods Came (although it is a very good book), but the original Trilogy is fabulous!

My 9 year old son loved these books, it was the first time he had ever become totally absorbed in a story and the characters. At one point he was standing on the sofa shouting "He's going to throw it! He's going to throw it! Oh my God, it's going to explode!" It was wonderful to see a book that finally 'clicked' with him, the sort of book he was eager to read and would keep at it even after he had finished his required daily reading. This futuristic vision of an Earth where adult humans are controlled by another "Master" species and only the children who have not yet been "capped" can free the people. I would pick up the books to scan the contents and find myself wrapped up in the plot many pages later. A wonderful series!

As a teenager in the early 60's, I slogged through The Lord of the Rings, realizing its worth but never fully understanding the background of the epic work. The recent success of the motion picture, The Two Towers, has reinvigorated my interest in all things Tolkien. I read the Simarillion and am now in the midst of this fascinating compilation of Tolkien's letters.

I highly recommend this book to readers of The Lord of the Rings. It brings to light the background and philosophy behind Tolkien's writing.

Thank God Tolkien was such a prodigious letter writer. We are all the beneficiaries of his correspondence with family, friends such as C.S. Lewis, fans, and critics alike.

J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the best loved authors ever, endeared to millions of readers. Now with the reprinting of his letters by Houghton Mifflin all those who cherish his writings are able to learn a bit more about the man who shaped Middle-Earth.

Reading this book you can't help but think what a warm and charming man he was. His letters are thoughtful, intelligent and often amusing as he converses with the publishers Allen and Unwin, his sons Michael and Christopher, C.S. Lewis, and even fans from around the world who sent him questions and observations. It's reading history and it's fascinating.

A large and rather comprehensive index is included near the end of the book with plenty of notes about each letter and the people and places contained within.

Highly recommended for anyone wanting a deeper glimpse into the thoughts of a brilliant man.

. . .with this collection of correspondence from the pen of the Master of Middle-Earth, Professor JRR Tolkien. Although, unfortunately, not all hobbits are lettered, those of us that are, write letters constantly to our friends and to a selection of our relations. The Professor's habits in this area definitely suggest that he is, as has long been suspected, himself a hobbit. (And, in fact, probably a Baggins!)

From his wartime correspondence, to his letters of love (and sound advice) to members of his family, to the vast amount of commentary on his literary masterpieces, this volume sheds a great deal of light into the life and thought of the Professor.

This book is a worthy companion to Mr. Carpenter's earlier biography. Both volumes should find a place on the shelf of every hobbit in the Shire.

About 25 years ago, the now-demolished Playboy Theater in Chicago ran a landmark Buster Keaton revival featuring newly struck prints, correct projection speed, and musical accompaniment to Buster Keaton's features and shorts. It was a revelation and the first time that I truly understood what was lost when silent comedy faded into, as Norma Desmond might say, Talk! Talk! and More Talk! Moreover, it was the first time it became clear to me the degree of modernity and surrealism in Keaton's work--particularly in contrast to Chaplin's Victorian emotionalism. In short, I fell in love with Buster and his work. Now, "Silent Echoes" comes along to lovingly excavate the faded world of Buster Keaton's Los Angeles. The book is infused with John Bengston's love of Keaton, encyclopedic knowledge of his work and relentless ingenuity as a urban archeologist. Even better, it inspired me to rent the Keaton ouvre on laserdisc and video in order to revisit the locations of his shots and the depth of his humor and humanity. "Silent Echoes" is a labor of love that's a treat for film lovers.

Buster Keaton was a notorious stickler for detail in all of his film work. Buster's ghost was probably nodding his approval over the shoulder of John Bengtson as he painstakingly researched SILENT ECHOES, a tribute to the Keaton ouevre and a forever-lost Los Angeles. Bengtson juxtaposes stills from Keaton films with photos from modern-day L.A., showing in detail where Keaton filmed, virtually following his trail, from the shorts to the features. This book is a must for both film fans and historians.

John Bengtson has created a whole new genre of books. This book does not just explore the silent comedies of Buster Keaton. It also will allow the silent film fan to explore early Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other early movie locations in California, Arizona, and Oregon. It is amazing how Bengtson has located the buildings that were in the background scenery of Keaton's films. This book is a look at Los Angeles history, as buildings like the College of Dentistry and hotels that were houses of prostitution no longer exist. Now anyone can walk in the steps of the great comedian, Buster Keaton.

This book will tell you everything and any thing that you want to know about McDonalds. It starts at the very beginning, with the McDonald brothers in San Bernardino, CA and Ray Kroc, the shake machine salesman. Eventually Ray starts selling franchisees in the Chicago area and the rest is history. The book was compiled through countless interviews with people working within the McDonalds Corporation, so it's not an outsiders view.. but actual stories, quotes, and experiences of real employees. This is a great read of how a person with a dream and lots of determination can make it big. If you're interested in McDonalds, and how they got to be the largest restaurant chain in the world... then you'll like this book.

The story behind the ubiquitous golden arches, and the man who expanded them coast to coast, (and today they reach the edges of the Earth). This book provides a reader friendly, detailed synopsis of McDonald's through decades of the original brothers, to Ray Kroc's entry and exit of what would become one of the most recognized oranizations of the world. (Whether this fact has positive or negative implications is another matter entirely). This is a good book about Mickey-D's and sheds light on many other aspects of American history, diet, culture, business and advertising.

Two brothers named McDonald went west to California from the north-east. They came with about about $8 dollars in their pockets (according to them) and got jobs moving props on movie sets in Hollywood (sound familiar?) After some initial business ventures the brothers opened their own small restaurant in San Bernadino.

Meanwhile, in the Midwest Ray Kroc left school at 16, and like almost all other achievers that reached his level of success, he had a strong work ethic and a hard-driving tenacity to succeed. Expecially at concepts that intially proved successful (hence SOP procedures). How ya build opon something that has a good and successful foundation. A gifted, successful salesman from an early age, he got a job selling paper cups and sold them for 17 years as one of the top salesman of his company. Some of his clients for example, were Wrigley field's vendors, among other Chicago establishments. In his late thirties, he started selling shake mixers. McDonald's comes into the picture when Kroc noticed that two brothers who owned a drive-in hamburger restaurant in Southern California, kept ordering lots of shake mixing machines, when Kroc's mixer business was dying out everywhere else in the country. He met the McDonald brothers and was greatly impressed by their practices. Ray implored them to expand and they replied "who'd want to do it, we don't," and Kroc became the seller of their franchises in the Midwest. He was very successful at establishing McD's in that part of the country (hint).

For his work he didn't earn a lot because of the deal he made with the brothers (an inkling of what was to come). So he added a creative and logical way to profit from his diligent work in spreading the franchises. He formed a separate corporation, and when setting up franchises he'd purchase the property where a new McDonald's was to be built, from his own original corporation he created. (Read Robert Kiyosaki's "Loophoes of the Rich" for details). So, with his corporations being the owner of the property, Kroc would either collect the rent, or a percentage of the restaurant's profits, whichever was greater, by contract structure. This allowed him to be compensated more fully in addition to his original deal with the McDonald brothers, which wasn't the most favorable.

Kroc was selling the franchises and focusing on keeping the model and SOPs identical for every franchise. Perhaps an analogy to the assembly line of the Ford. Kroc had a methodology. If a winning method was not altered or diluted by individualistic owner operators or franchise restaurants here and there across the country, the sales, expansion, and growth would continue. McDonald's had tapped into what a large part of the American public wanted in post WWII America. Ray later bought McDonald's from the McDonald brothers for $2.7 million cash. When he discovered after the deal was finished that the original McD restaurant in San Bernadino was not included, and was to be kept by the brothers, Kroc had forced them to change their restaurant's name on legal grounds, and then and built a franchise across the street to put them out of business. The brothers asked for this, and likely didn't understand 3 major things: 1. ethical business practices 2. the law 3. common sense.

Advertising: to help solidify more growth and consumer loyalty, Kroc knew the value of kids. He hired top advertising people: enter Ronald McDonald. After some marketing tests in some particular regions, came the major nationwide promotion to get the kiddies pleading with their parents that they wanted to go to Mickey-Ds. Have you heard kids clamour their parents to do this? I have. And today, McDonald's has continued the kid-concept by investing large amounts into the Playgrounds added onto many of its' stores.

McDonald's represents many things about American culture. To Americans, and today throughout the world. No matter what you think of Mickey D's it's quite an interesting story of how it started, evolved and came to it's ubiquity today. It's a fact that those golden arches are more recognized than the Christian cross. Again, whether we think that's good or not leads to several other issues involving, chemicals and food science, general health, obesity, globalization, homogenization, marketing to children, and corporatization.

For additional insights into the McDonald's phenomenon read, Jennifer Talwar's "Fast Food, Fast Track" and Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal," and Fumento's "Fatland."

One of my earliest memories as a child is of Mom and Dad taking the whole darn family to the only McDonald's in our area at that time (mid-60's) in Belmont, California - it was still the old fashioned McD's with giant golden arches and outdoor seating (why they decided to tear all of those down, I have no idea - they were wonderful!). A week after my 16th birthday, I started my first real (non-babysitting) job at the local McD's in Foster City. Although I seldom dine there now (waiting for veggie burgers!), the impact and history of McDonald's has always fascinated me. Before picking up "Behind the Arches" the only book I had read about the subject was "Big Mac - the Unauthorized Story of McDonalds" which in fact is not really the story of McDonalds at all, but rather one of franchising in general with a bit more of a focus on McDonalds.

Mr. Love's book, however, focuses more on the genius of Ray Kroc and Fred Turner; how the corporation relies on its owner/operators and suppliers for new ideas (Filet-O-Fish, Big Mac, apple pies, McMuffin, etc.). The chapters on the development of the perfect frozen french fry and Chicken McNuggets were especially interesting...as well as how McDonald's moved into Japan and Europe. Even if you detest McDonald's food, read this book - HIGHLY recommended.

Journey with a guy with much testosterone, but a HUGE heart. I was not looking forward to reading this book for my 18th Century British novel class, but upon starting to read I found it to be a pleasurable story. This piqaresque novel has a humor that I have seldom encountered in other narratives. What is ironic is that Fielding wrote this piece during one of the most traumatic periods of his life. His wife just passed away, his daughter was dying, and he was inflicted with the gout. One would never think it from the clever way the book is written. The point of view gives us an in so that we feel as if we ourselves have roles in the storyline. Rooting all the way for Tom despite his flaws, we find out more about human nature along the way. A good read, light a candle and sit down with some wine like they would've and enjoy this classic comical delight.

It was so hard finally putting this book down.

The friends you make!

Tom, Sophia, Allworthy, even Western himself.

But most of all, Henry Fielding.

The humor, the humanity!

What an author and what a man. And to think he
penned his comic masterpiece in his darkest days.

With all that, Tom Jones can be tough going. The
language requires you read fairly slowly. And the
novel is huge. And the plot is intricate.

You may benefit from book notes; I did, especially
during the second half.

If you love Tom Jones, check out Thackeray's
Vanity Fair. And Guerney's translation of Gogol's
Dead Souls.

While you're at it, grab The Brothers Karamazov
and go crazy.

I first picked up Tom Jones because to put it bluntly I am a bibliophile and it was a cheap book. However, I was suprised at how engaging and hilarious the story was despite the claims on the back cover, which are often far off. To tell the truth I did not expect to make it through this extremely lengthy tome, I only wanted to satisfy my curiousity.

Although I am a fan of Jane Austen I was shocked by the freshness and wit that Fielding's writing still retains. Every book in the novel begins with an essay by the author. Do not skip these, they are one of the best features of the book. My favorite is the essay before the ninth book which explains the purpose of these introductory chapters. What a riot!

The story of big hearted and big appetited Tom Jones and his adventures and misadventures is one long satirical gem. Fielding's interpretation of morals, piousness, love, and high society is still as hilarious and relevant as it was in the 18th century. For anyone who appreciates wit and history, this is a must read.