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This book is NOT a book condemning Catholism or Christianity. I am not Catholic myself, but I have enough respect for Christianity and the Catholic Church, that had it been merely thus, I probably wouldn't have wasted my time reading it.
With the persistance of the staff of the Boston Globe, though, much of this information, which was previously off-limits, has been opened and researched. This book is a product of that research, and without drowning the reader in tons of details, goes into many aspects of this story - how the story broke, victims' stories, profiles of some of the most heinous perpetrators, the Catholic culture around Boston, and the heirarchical structure of the Catholic Church, and the effects this scandal has had on the Catholic Church in America and in the world.
As late as this has come to many people, I am glad that somebody had the nerve to pursue the story. For those who still want to believe that this isn't a major problem, remember that what is written here is just Boston's story, and just a small bit, at that. The priests who committed these crimes are criminals, and should be recognized as such, both inside and outside the Catholic Church.
2. It is also an excellent book in explaining the power of the Catholic Church in the culture and politics of Boston. This power may explain why Cardinal Law and others were able to get away with such abuses of power.
3. This is an extremely painful read as it details exactly what occurred to these children while they were being abused.
4. With that said, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ALL CATHOLICS!
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One more thing: since ASP programmers tend to be less steeped in technology than, say, C++ programmers, it's especially important to have a reference that's easy to use and clear on every point. That's the best part about ASP 3.0 Programmer's Reference -- you never feel like you're lost (unless you're totally unfamiliar with the language, like the gentleman below.)
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The omission of the writing sample can perhaps be forgiven, if the authors of this book are correct when they say that the writing sample will never affect the decision of any admissions committee. The omission of the fifth section makes these tests a fairly poor simulation of the real LSAT, on which you have to complete all five sections, because it is impossible to know which one will not count. The LSAT is in part a test of endurance, a test to see if you can retain your mental abilities after being subjected to difficult questions for nearly three hours. The practice tests in this book may help you figure out how to answer questions, but they cannot help you learn how to keep your mind working during that last 35 minutes. If you buy this book, just be aware that the publishers are apparently using a very unusual definition of "full-length" when they display this term prominently on the book's covers.
Robinson's character is gimmicky; the plot is gimmicky; his writing style is gimmicky.
If you have insomnia, however, this would be a good book to purchase.
Also, comparing Robinson to Grisham is like comparing a painter of Elvis Presley velvets to Leonardo Da Vinci. Robinson's not a real writer, let alone an artist.
Again, we have 2 1/5 reviews with no content and lots of venom. Hmm.
I enjoyed the fast-paced plot about a computer hacker bent on creating a disaster for NASA, and the book's climax had my heart pounding, but I was just as fascinated by the nuts and bolts of Stick Foster's life in a wheelchair. I had a lot of misconceptions about that before reading this great mystery.
I can't wait to read MALL RATS, the second book in this series!
Anyway, back to the review: The author obviously has chosen the character of "Stick" so he can write from a point of view that he knows. As mentioned in the trade reviews, the ending can be a bit pat, but overall a good first sleuthing. I want to give 4 stars - but to counter balance the below useless reviews, I am awarding 5.
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Unless *gasp* they didn't like the author, or what the author stood for. Pretty pathetic.
I would definitely agree this is not the best novel from Robinson, but review objectively, not brainlessly.
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