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Book reviews for "Lincicome,_Bernie" sorted by average review score:

The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams
Published in Hardcover by Penguin USA (1994)
Author: Lawrence Block
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Burglary, Bookstore and Mystery
This light-hearted venture into the world of Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar extraordinaire and bookstore owner contains much of the sharp, witty dialogue of the previous books in the series only sharper and wittier. The discussion between Bernie and Carolyn over the sexual preference of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone is priceless. This is a sometimes-confusing mystery involving a series of events that sees Bernie burgle an apartment, return the booty and then re-enter the place to plant evidence after finding a corpse in the bathroom. Bernie sets out to work out who committed the murder, plus who committed a burglary that he's been mistakenly charged with. This is a most entertaining mystery that continues to keep you thinking, while providing plenty of smiles along the way.

Bernie Burgles Again . . . and Again . . . and Again!
Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores how an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams is the sixth book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers and follow it up with The Burglar in the Closet, The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza, The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling, and The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart comes next in the series.

As this book opens, Bernie has been going straight . . . for almost a year. Barnegat Books, a used hard cover book store he owns and operates, has been providing his living rather than burglary. Then, he receives a double shock. His new landlord is Bordon Stoppelgard, and with his 30 year lease at an end, Mr. Stoppelgard announces that the new lease will be for $10,500 a month rather than $875. How can Bernie afford that? He can't. Then, Stoppelgard comes into Barnegat Books to buy a first edition of Sue Grafton's "B" Is for Burglar for $80 plus tax. Bernie tries to refuse him the sale, but Stoppelgard insists, slapping a hundred-dollar bill on the counter. Then he laughs at Bernie for selling a five-hundred-dollar book for so little.

But Bernie's sorely tempted to burgle again . . . both for the money and the thrills he gets from burglary. That temptation is particularly great just now because Bernie knows that the wealthy Martin Gilmartins will be out for the evening. Bernie does his best to avoid temptation . . . and succeeds. His only slip is to call Mr. Gilmartin from Carolyn Kaiser's apartment to ask him how he liked the show . . . a call that can be traced by the police when Mr. Gilmartin discovers a burglary has been committed and valuable baseball cards are missing. Bernie's alibi isn't very good because he decides to go out after leaving Carolyn. Someone might think he was visiting a fence to sell the baseball cards. What to do?

Most people will find The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams to be the very best book in the series. The plot is deliciously complicated and unusual. There are mysteries galore to solve, and it's not clear until near the end who did what to whom. The satirical references to mystery novels and novelists are priceless (these include wickedly twisted misstatements of Sue Grafton titles and stories, and a hilarious sequence about cats solving mysteries referring to the Lillian Jackson Braun books). The book also introduces Raffles, Bernie?s new mouse-exterminating-assistant cat who is always on the paper chase, and Carolyn's offbeat theories about women and cats. The baseball card trivia about the Chalmers Mustard Ted Williams set will delight any collector or fan. The comic sequences had me laughing out loud as Bernie finds unexpected surprises as he employs his burglary talents. Bernie also discovers a new source of income which most readers would not have anticipated. Some of the new characters will also amuse or delight you, even though they are only in this book. In essence, there's enough good material in this book for four excellent novels. And it's all nicely pulled together.

How will Bernie save the store? Who took the baseball cards? How will Bernie solve the other puzzles in the book? You are making a big mistake if you don't read this book!

The theme of this book is whether honesty or dishonesty pays better . . . and why. Where do you see dishonest people doing better than honest ones now? Will that continue? Why or why not?

Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

fun from both sides of the law
Given the Splendid Splinter's recent death, I couldn't resist this title, and in the process, I discovered that Lawrence Block is one of the more clever authors of this day. Our hero is a used book seller and a part time burglar, who tends to use his skills for good rather than evil. One minor complaint is we are often led down a path, only to be filled in later by Bernie the burglar of a fact he had been withholding the reader for a few chapters. But all in all, this light hearted book is fun, and easily readable. I plan to try out more of Mr Block's works.


The Creation of Health: The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Responses That Promote Health and Healing
Published in Paperback by Stillpoint Pub (1993)
Authors: C. Norman Shealy, Caroline M. Myss, and Bernie S. Siegel
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Interesting? Yes. Believable? Maybe.
While Myss and Shealy's book is interesting and thought provoking in that it introduces novel information regarding the mind-body connection, it lacks the scientific support that would make it entirely believable. Though the book's credibility is enhanced by the fact that Shealy is a medical doctor, there are far too many statements throughout that leave the reader wondering where the information came from and if it is backed by any research studies. Many valid points and theories are presented, however, they tend to be mixed in with very subjective and unsupported material. I would suggest that this book be used as a basic guideline for the current discourse about the connection between emotional, spiritual, and physical health, but that any information be further researched by consulting scholarly works in order to ensure its legitimacy.

"Holistic" is Not a Technique
Myss and Shealy make clear that we are at a turning point in the diagnosis and understanding of disease. The trend in medicine to examine the influences of stress has retintroduced us to the knowledge that emotional tension is disruptive to the physical body. "...this recognition that human emotions do indeed affect physical health," they write, "has brought the traditional medical world face to face with the fundamental principle of holistic health: The majority of physical illnesses result from an overload of emotional, psychological and spiritual crises."

They outline eight dysfunctional stress patterns:

- Unresolved or deeply consuming emotional, psychological, or spiritual stress. - Negative (and disempowering) belief patterns. - Inability to give and/or receive love. - Lack of humor/inability to distinguish serious concerns from life's lesser issues. - Failure to exercise the power of choice in the matters of one's own life. - Lack of attention to the needs of the physical body. - Absence or loss of meaning in one's life. - Inability to face life's challenges and to acknowledge and change what is not working.

The term "Holistic" refers to a way of approaching healing that incorporates a variety of therapies including traditional medicine. "Metaphorically speaking, traditional medicine represents the 'mind' of health care and the holistic approach represents the 'heart' of health care." This book is an important guideline for approaching the heart of health care -- a useful frame of reference to examine how our lives contribute to illness or wholeness, particularly those who have already become ill, their families, and their caregivers.

WHERE CAN I FIND....?????
I too am looking for the tape for this book........


Burglars Can't Be Choosers
Published in Hardcover by E P Dutton (1995)
Author: Lawrence Block
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A Good Start To An Intriguing Series
This is an intriguing concept that I've only just stumbled across: A protagonist of a mystery book who's a professional burglar. Bernie Rhodenbarr is hard at work one night knocking over a house in which, he's assured, he'll find a leather-bound box. Problem 1, the box isn't there. Problem 2, the police catch him in the act. Problem 3, there's a dead body in the house, which is found by the police. Was he set up or was his luck just really bad on this job? In order to prove his innocence Bernie has to find out who committed the murder while staying ahead of the law.

This is a great idea for a different slant on mystery protagonists. It's not every story that you find yourself on the side of the burglar, so I found this book very refreshing indeed. Bernie commits crimes as a living does essentially a reprehensible job, but you can't help but like the guy. And as an investigator he's not too bad either. This is a very good mystery that has certainly prompted me to read other books in the series.

Buy it! The book you'd not regret buying!
Maybe it is an exaggeration, but I believe that Lawrence Block and his debut series Burglars Can't Be Choosers is power packed with lots of wit, lots of plot and dialogue, and interlaced with the kind of interesting material you want to curl up in bed and read by your bedlight. This is such a good book that people seeking to improve their standard of English should look here! The pace is fast and furious, and by reading it, you really feel like you're instantly transported to living, breathing New York City!

Buy the rest too. All nine Bernie Rhodenbarr series (including the newly-released Burglar in Library novel). Lawrence Block is at his greatest and most humorous here. You'll not regret it. Makes for a perfect companion gift too!

Burglar-Sleuth Introduced in new Series from Block
While traveling down I-95 to Florida I found a more recent Lawrence Block book, "The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams." I found Block's style of mystery-humor very interesting and couldn't wait until I could seek and find the other books in the series. "Burglars Can't Be Choosers," the first in the series of seven other books featuring Bernie Rhodenbarr introduces us to a burglar who is caught in act by Ray Kirchmann, one of the city's finest in blue. Bernie is a loveable cat burglar who has to turn detective to save his own skin after stumbling over a murder. If you read a more recent "Burglar who..." you soon realize Bernie's friend Carolyn is introduced in a later work. His second occupation, that of a Greenwich Village used bookstore owner doesn't take place until later. I generally advocate reading books in a series in sequence to see how reoccurring characters develop. This is certainly true of this series. "Burglars Can't Be Choosers," is a good start for a delightful series.


Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling
Published in Hardcover by Random House (1979)
Author: Lawrence Block
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Bernie, the Bookman, Buys In
Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores how an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling is the third book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers and follow it up with The Burglar in the Closet. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza comes next in the series.

The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling introduces two major changes into the series, both of them favorable. Bernie is now the proprietor of Barnegat Books in Greenwich Village, which features used hard cover books, some of which are collectibles. After one of his big heists, he has enough to buy the store, which he used to patronize. The former owner heads off to Florida, leaving Bernie with something to do with his spare time. In this book, Bernie mainly spends his time in the store reading. He's not quite sure whether he makes any money or not, but he likes being around the books . . . and he hopes to meet interesting women. With this change, the series shifts to having a bookish angle that I find delightful.

The second major change is that Bernie now has a friend, Carolyn Kaiser, who provides an offbeat offset to Bernie's burglaries. She runs The Poodle Factory, where she grooms dogs for a living (while preferring cats in her private life). She and Bernie share lunches, dinners, drinks and good times together. But it's not boy and girl. Carolyn's romantic interests don't run toward men. As a result, you get a sort of Nick and Nora Charles element without the sexual element affecting the couple. It works really well. Mr. Block successfully experimented with having a female sidekick for Bernie in The Burglar in the Closet, but the romantic development showed that it would be hard to sustain in subsequent books so he wisely ended that relationship. This one, on the other hand, can be easily sustained based on mutual interests and friendship.

As the book opens, Bernie's trying to convince everyone that he's gone straight, including his crooked cop friend, Ray Kirschmann, who wants to hire Bernie to lift a mink coat for his wife. Then Bernie gets an invitation to lunch at an exclusive club and learns about a rare and obscure work of Rudyard Kipling's with an anti-Semitic slant that someone wants stolen. Bernie can't resist, and the fun begins! Although the burglary is difficult enough, the aftermath soon has Bernie on the run. Carolyn's pressed into helping him, and the misunderstandings and confusion quickly mount. The puzzle's a deliciously complex one, and you'll enjoy seeing unraveled by Bernie (with a little help from his burglar's tools). You'll find the puzzle to be a nice step up from the ones in the first two books in the series. This is definitely a five-star effort and promises many good things to come.

This book's theme comes down to things not always being as they seem. I came away starting to question a lot more of my assumptions about whether appearances are honest representations of reality.

Look hard for the Potemkin village, wherever you are or whatever you are doing!

Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

Super series!
I love the wit and witicism of Lawrence Block, as spoken and acted by his character, Bernie the Burglar (or is it bookseller?). This book was so good, I read it in one day. Block does mar the character of Rudyard Kipling, tying him to one of the most notorious people of the 20th century, but I'm willing to forgive him. Bernie and his best friend/sidekick go through a well planned sting operation to uncover the real killer, hiding behind street corners with a Polaroid. By all means, you must try the burglar series, and be prepared for the most original writing in modern American literature.

The Author Who...
Lawrence Block is a delightful story teller and Bernie is a grand creation. "The Burglar Who" series mix humor with a good old fashioned murder mystery. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh out loud while reading. I've read all the "Bernie" books and laughed out loud at each one. It seems Bernie only gets better with age. Mr. Block is wonderful - if he is anywhere near your town, go see him. It is an evening well spent.


Paradox Outpatient
Published in Paperback by Zumaya Publishing (2002)
Author: Bernie Schallehn
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Paradox Outpatient
Paradox Outpatient was a breath of fresh air from my diet of 'mystery & suspense' novels. This story allowed me to sit in on the world of therapy sessions, of which I know little. It provided good insight on both sides of the equation. I also enjoyed Micheal's side trips into the street-level bar band scene. However I felt his extra-marital relation and subsequent outcome were predictable.

I look forward to reading Mr. Schallehn's next effort.

Entertaining and full of insight
Paradox Outpatient is a wonderfully written novel that gives us a realistic, yet often disturbing look at the world of addiction therapy. The protagonist, Michael Altimari, is as skewed in his behavior as are his clients. This serves to generate our interest in the characters and sustain it through the novel.
When people go into therapy they assume that the therapist to whom they speak will help guide them through the labyrinth of their pain. They unburden themselves and look to the therapist to provide meaningful and analytical answers to their problems. Schallehn lets us in on the secret that therapists already know, but do not reveal--that those who make human behavior their profession are also looking for answers; that one man's dysfunction is another man's normalcy.
Mr. Schallehn has done an excellent job of telling a story which is both entertaining and full of insight into this profession. I recommend this novel highly to anyone who wants a good and clever read.

Real and Redeemable
Paradox Outpatient is a book I have added to my list of personal favorite and "great" books. I loved the characters. They are fictional, but great fictional characters are sometimes more real/realistic than the subjects of biographies and non-fiction. Readers can really identify with aspects of all the characters in the book and their motivations. I was most touched and impressed with how very human the characters were in their good intentions, love, understanding, and kindness as well as their capacity for such self-destructive behavior(s)and addictions and, for some especially the main character, redemption, which is the greatest and most wonderful paradox of being human.


The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian
Published in Hardcover by Arbor House Pub Co (1983)
Author: Lawrence Block
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A fun read from the Burglar
Antiquarian book dealer Berni Rhodenbarr feels pretty good about his current job, appraising New York millionaire Gordon Onderdon's personal collection. While checking the library, Bernie, being a thief, cannot help casing the rest of the house in case he decides to abscond with something.

Bernie's close friend Carolyn Kaiser informs Bernie that someone has abducted her cat. For ransom, they want the Piet Mondrian painting hanging in a museum where it is virtually impossible to steal anything. Bernie, knowing that Gordon has a fake on his wall, returns to the wealthy man's home to steal the painting. Instead, he finds a corpse and no painting. Of course, the police turn to Bernie as the prime suspect. Now he has to rescue the feline and prove his own innocence.

This is a reprint of a classy Bernie Rhodenbarr novel, which may be the best of this highly regarded series. Bernie and friends remain interesting and fun, while New York City comes to life in a way rarely seen in a novel. The crisp story line keeps reader attention throughout the book. Bottom line is the entire eight-novel collection is worth reading because no one does Manhattan any better than Lawrence Block does with these incredible tales.

Harriet Klausner

THE BURGLAR'S WORLD
Review by Nina Coombs Pykare, author of DEATH COMES FOR DESDEMONA. As always Bernie Rohdenbarr gets himself mixed up in a murder. And as always Larry Block gives us a fascinating world where the burglar is 'the good guy' and an 'honest cop' limits his take. This time it's a kidnapped cat and a painting by Mondrian that push the plot. I love the way Block drops little allusions to literature. He makes me laugh. A great read.

The best of the Bernie Rhodenbarr novels
Of the eight Bernie Rhodenbarr novels published as of the end of 1997, THE BURGLAR WHO PAINTED LIKE MONDRIAN is by far the best...and, ironically, it is also one of the the few Lawrence Block novels that, as of the same date, was out of print. MONDRIAN carries on the "Burglar Who" tradition of burying Bernie up to his neck in trouble and letting the reader watch as he resourcefully digs himself out. This time, the plot involves genuine and forged Mondrian paintings, a kidnapped cat, an impregnable building which Bernie repeatedly breaks into, plus a dozen other elements; and somehow it all comes together perfectly. Like a Mozart concerto, like a Fred Astaire dance routine, this book hits all the right notes, maintains its balance and rhythm, and leaves the reader wanting more. It won't be out of print forever. When it returns, buy several copies: this is one you'll want to give to your friends.


The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation
Published in Paperback by Alpha Communications (30 December, 1998)
Authors: Joan Budilovsky, Eve Adamson, and Bernie S. Siegel
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I'm soory that I spend my money on it.
There are many books on meditation, and I bought this one and Meditation by Sri Chinmoy. Main reason was that all the reviews were excelent. But Chinmoy's book is superior in every aspect. This book is more a dicitonary on meditation than useful manual.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation, by Joan Budilovsky and Eve Adamson, will answer every question you have about meditation, as well as help you find the kind of meditation that is right for you.

Budilovsky and Adamson have teamed up before with books on yoga and massage, as well as writing independently about holistic health.

They write that "meditation can teach you to live in the now, to know yourself--body, mind, and soul--better, and to find the life you need." They first explain how meditation reduces stress and helps in healing, then discuss how "meditation will lead you to a consideration of life's bigger questions. . ." before getting into the actual techniques for successful meditation.

They emphasize throughout the book that meditation does not conflict with any religious or spiritual beliefs.

Instructions start with how to prepare your mind and body for meditation, then explain the different seated, walking, and moving meditations. The authors discuss how to use mantras, mandalas, and visualization techniques to enhance meditation. They also review the basics of yoga, T'ai Chi, and QiGong as relaxation techniques.

Readers are taught how to adapt religious traditions to "create your own profound meditative exercises." They also learn how to perform "body scans" to determine what their bodies are telling them about their physical health.

Definitions of unfamiliar terms are included with the text, making it easy to understand the information presented. "Mindful Minutes," meditation trivia and anecdotes, are scattered throughout the book.

Budilovsky and Adamson say that with a "few simple techniques, you can harness the awesome power of your own mind-body." In The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation, they show you exactly what those techniques are and how to apply them in your own life.

Excellent Down to Earth Beginner's Guide to Meditation
This book is definately not for idiots! It contains nearly everything that beginners would be interested in concerning meditation. There are lessons on different cultures and how they meditate, spiritual meditation practices (to reach for enlightenment) how and where to pick the perfect meditation sanctuary, poses and hand positions, moving meditation, and so much more. This manual is written in a down to earth style that makes you feel as though the author is sitting right there with you. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the broad and ever-expanding world of meditation!


The Complete Idiot's Guide to Massage (Complete Idiot's Guide To...)
Published in Paperback by Alpha Books (1998)
Authors: Joan Budilovsky, Eve Adamson, and Bernie S. Siegel
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The essential introductory volume of massage
So you want to bone up on knowledge and become a top-notch masseuse, eh? ...

Oh, don't get me wrong: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Massage is a great volume for people looking to learn massage... basics. It's definitely an "introductory" book, since it tries to hit all the bases of every massage technique before the back cover arrives. The result is that you feel more "educated" about what you're getting into than "enabled" to do massage.

Of course, the book has a lot of helpful techniques and teachings in it! You can certainly become a great amateur masseuse with this book's lessons and little natural skill. The muscle diagrams, in particular, are very helpful (you gotta know WHERE to massage, eh?), as well as the many warnings peppered around the book that explain why you should not paralyze your massage partner (they get upset with you) and the like. But in the end, I certainly felt like "That's it?" and will be buying a more detailed book soon.

Starting with this Guide, though, is a great idea. It eases you into massage smoothly and easily, and perfectly prepares you to start practicing on the nearest sore person or dive into more complex educational resources.

COMPLETE is the word.
This is perhaps the consumate reference book for massage. Intelligent, thourough, and fun. All types of massage are addresed here. It's a must have for the serious (and not so serious)student.

A Fun and Informative Trip
This is an instructive and, dare I say it, entertaining map to the world of touch therapy. The authors take us through a wide range of massage topics, including techniques, history, philosophy and more, in easy to understand terms. The format of chapters, sidebars and summaries gives us the details while reminding us not to forget the essentials. Finally, in the text and graphics, the authors remember that a little levity makes the trip that much more enjoyable. I would recommend this book both to health care professionals and those just looking for a way to relax at the end of a day that has seemed like a week. Fine, fun work.


Maybe You Never Cry Again
Published in Audio CD by HarperAudio (27 May, 2003)
Author: Bernie Mac
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Funny person, book
Someones I wonder if I person is really funny, or is alot of it an act the person places on the screen. I have no doubt Charles Barkley is truely funny, and I don't have any doubts that Bernie Mac is - or maybe, I don't care who he is in real life, and I don't want to find out. He is a funny person, and it shows up in this book.

The Best of Bernie Mac
I was deeply moved by this book. It was insightful and funny. His determination to make it despite the odds. Is a lesson everyone could benefit from. His commitment to his wife and family also was a plus for me. I haven't read an autobiography this good since Don't Block the Blessing.

Impressive Insight
There is a serious side to every comedian, and Bernard McCullough is no different. Bernie Mac takes the time, in this autobiography, to share the intimate portrait of his life and pay tribute to those who influenced, inspired, and encouraged him on his comedic journey. I've enjoyed his comedy, when he toured with The Kings of Comedy, and his television show, but to go behind the scenes really enlightened me. Maybe You Never Cry Again isn't your typical chronological display of life events that often has you reading the book to fall asleep. No, if you listen any to Bernie Mac, you can hear him saying the words as you read. The closest I've come to an audio book without actually listening to one. The way the words are written is exactly the way your mind imagines that he would say them.

Bernie Mac shares a lot in this book. I like the way the book was laid out - each chapter had a poignant quote that dealt with the theme of the chapter. There was a picture of Bernie and/or his family included in each chapter as well which further personalized the book and encouraged the reader to see the intimate side. Each reader can pick up something that we can carry forward in our own lives. He's never forgotten from whence he came and he's kept it real throughout his career. He's been true to his craft, true to his family and true to himself, which makes Maybe You Never Cry Again, a wonderful read.


The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza
Published in Hardcover by Random House (1980)
Author: Lawrence Block
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Bernie Finds Himself Between Burglaries
Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores how an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza is the fourth book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers and follow it up with The Burglar in the Closet and The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian comes next in the series.

Bernie's friend, Carolyn Kaiser, the dog groomer at the Poodle Factory has a hot tip for him. Wealthy dog-owners, Herbert and Wanda Colcannon will be out of town breeding Astrid, their Bouvier des Flandres guard dog, who normally keeps burglars away from their possessions, which includes Herbert's famous coin collection . . . and which Bernie is already impressed by. Carolyn discovered a taste for breaking and entering while "borrowing" a Polaroid camera in The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling, and now she's a full-fledged partner who insists on joining Bernie in the burglary.

Quickly inside the Colcannon's West 18th Street brownstone, they find the place a mess. "Burglars," Bernie announces. But the first burglars mainly made a mess . . . and couldn't open the safe. But Bernie does and finds some jewelry, a Piaget watch, and a nickel. The main coin collection must be safe in a bank vault elsewhere. Carolyn's more pleased with the Chagall lithograph that she takes for her apartment. So far, so good.

They retire to visit Bernie's charming fence, Abel Crowe, who had survived being an inmate at Dachau. Bernie knows that Abel is more likely to be generous if he's in a good mood, so Bernie brings Abel a little gift, a 1707 English edition of Spinoza's Ethics, bound in blue calf. Everything goes smoothly until Abel examines the nickel. "Gross Gott!" he exclaims. Bernie has brought him one of five known specimens of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel that the mint denies ever having made. It's worth a fortune. Abel offers a small sum in cash now . . . or to split the proceeds from a more leisurely sale. Bernie and Carolyn agree to wait on their money, and leave happily.

By the next morning, everything has gone bad. Unless Bernie finds out what really happened, he's scheduled to be the fly in the soup.

I didn't enjoy the mystery to be solved nearly as much in this one as in The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling. In fact, this is my least favorite of the books that Mr. Block wrote in the series. I was disturbed by who Mr. Block selected to be his victims, and found all of the coin collecting details to be not nearly as interesting as the bibliophile content of The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling. Although I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that you skip this one, I suspect that you will be disappointed compared to other books in the series even though the humor and dialogue are wonderfully strong and engaging. But stick with it, the books get much better from here in the series.

This book's theme is being careful about whom you trust. Take nothing for granted . . . including loyalty!

Donald Mitchell...

A fun to read mystery that is a classic in the field
Used book store owner Bernie Rhodenbarr is not only tired of losing money at his Greenwich Village establishment, he is inanely bored. Bernie knows that it is time to spice up his life with some excitement by employing his better skill, stealing, this time rare coins. Bernie's marks are the opulent Hank and Wanda Colcannon, who he learns from his friend Carolyn are leaving town.

When Bernie arrives at the Colcannon place, he quickly realizes that a peer has already been there. Still, Bernie finds a few interesting items, including a 1913 V-nickel, which he takes to his fence Abel Crowe to appraise. Abel values the rare coin at $500K and willingly accepts it because Bernie is a pal who gives him philosophy books. However, everything falls apart by the next day when the cops come to accuse Bernie of murdering Wanda and Abel, and stealing the rare coin, which has been re-heisted. Bernie knows he has been set up and only he, with the help of Spinoza, can clear his name of the murder charges.

THE BURGLAR WHO STUDIED SPINOZA is a reprint of the fourth novel in the Rhodenbarr series which is now up to eight. Even after a dozen years (think Reagan), the story line remains remarkably refreshing as it highlights Bernie's best (and worst) traits and showcases the City at its most intriguing and frustrating self. Lawrence Block may have been at the top of his game with this wisecracking, absolutely fun tale about a professional thief turned sleuth who seems to spend a lot of time clearing his name from a couple of murder raps.

Harriet Klausner

Bookseller/Burglar/Sleuth at It Again!
Bernie Rhodenbarr is at it again in Lawrence Block's fourth "The Burglar Who..." series. In this fast paced novel "The Burglar who Studied Spinoza," Bernie has to turn sleuth once again to prove he is not guilty of anything worse than entering someone else's apartment with his trusty burglar tools and taking valuables easy to carry away and fence them for a quick turn over. This story involves a very rare coin, a 1913 Liberty V nickel. Our favorite reoccurring characters, Carolyn Kaiser who runs a dog grooming parlor, and Ray Kirschmann the best cop money can buy also make play their roles as they have in previous "Burglar Who book..." Lawrence Block does an excellent job telling of burglaries, murder and mayhem. As with other books in this series he does it with a great sense of humor. That's what makes these stories of a burglar who also owns an antiquarian bookshop in New York Greenwich Village fun to read. They are light reading, just right for a cold winter's night in front of a fireplace or a bright summer afternoon at poolside. I'm a true Bernie Rhodenbarr fan and look forward to reading the next on my to read list, "The Burglar who Pained Like Mondrian." When I do a review will surly be posted here.


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