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Book reviews for "Robinson,_Peter" sorted by average review score:

The Complete Guide to Paintball
Published in Paperback by Hatherleigh Pr (1999)
Authors: Steve Davidson, Pette "Robbo" Robinson, Rob "Tyger" Rubin, Stew Smith, Peter Field Peck, Sarah Stevenson, and Andrew Flach
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A Fairly Complete Guide to Paintball
I just started paintball and this book describes just about everything a newbie would want to know about the sport. A lot of really good pictures give you an idea of what type of clothing, camoflauge, marker accessories you might want to try. The more experienced player would probably use this book to get an idea of other types of games to play since quite a number of different games are described. A great book for beginner players and a very good book for the experienced players

Paintball newbie-pro
This is a great book that i would recomend to anybody interested in paintball. It covers it all from the basic skills need for your first day of play all the way up through skills pro players work on everyday. Not only does it cover skills but many other things like equiptment, tactics, the history of this new sport, interviews with top companies like WDP Smart Parts and WGP, and much much more. This book is a worthwhile investment to improve your game or start it.

Read this book to gain the competitive edge
This is a great book for both the weekend warrior, and those wanting to join a competitive team. Regardless of your skill level it holds something for you. It covers history, game rules and in depth gear and accessories information. The book outlines game tactics, techniques, equipment and how to use bunkers and cover to your advantage. Professional players are interviewed, and their tips to success are revealed.

For the battle hardened players,there are analysis' of guns and air systems, along with advanced strategys and training drills.

I enjoyed this book because it was informative and fun to read when I was a beginner, and I am still learning advanced techniques such as capturing and defending a building/fortress.

Chapters are well sectioned off, so it is easy to dip into or re-read an area of particular interest. Well worth a look for those who enjoy the game.


American Horticultural Society Complete Guide To Water Gardening
Published in Hardcover by DK Publishing (1997)
Author: Peter Robinson
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OK for general info.
My husband and I found this book helpful as a general reference for building our pond. We were disappointed that there wasn't more detail in certain key areas. For example, when you look up pH in the index and turn to the selected page, they just show you a picture of a pH test kit. It would be nice to know why we need one!
The equipment section would have been enhanced with a greater variety of filtration/pump set-ups and the pros/cons of each configuration.
The section about plants is excellent; it is extensive, with detailed thumbnail descriptions, and helpfully separated into groups.
I would recommend this book, but not as a complete source of water garden info.

Got to buy this book
We have a giant hole in our backyard and it is a tribute to this excellent book. It describes the process of creating a water feature as well as or better than any other publication on the market. We will have a wildlife and bird resource thanks to the quality of this publication. My sincere thanks to the author/editor/writer.

THE Book on Water Garden Construction and Maintenance
If you want to build a pond/stream/waterfall, and you want the pleasure of doing it yourself, this is THE book to buy. There are several good ones available, and you should consider some of them to help yourself gain valuable knowledge about the subject.

However, of all the books in this field, this is the most comprehensive, best illistrated, and the most diverse guide of its kind.

The Hard cover edition (if available) will be a book you'll want to keep with your other favorites.


In a Dry Season
Published in Audio Cassette by Chivers Press Ltd ()
Authors: Peter Robinson and Stephen Thorne
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Add some water please
The descripton on the back of this book led me to believe that it was going to be a very exciting and captavating book. I found the book to be slow moving and at times hard to follow. It took me well into the 100 page mark before I got caught up in the story. I had to force myself to keep reading to that mark and after that I was caught up in the story.

The main thing about this book is that there is three main stories with about 4 to 5 subplots. I was given too much information about people who are minor characters. I enjoyed reading about all the characters, than Robinson would begin to tell you about someone that is only mentioned once. I didn't mind the first time, but after the 5th or 6th time, it got to me a little. I have to give kudos for the main character Alan Banks. I thought that he was an odd person, but it fit in well with sitution, as only he would keep interested with this crime. I really did enjoy the mystery. I enjoyed the twists (think usual suspects) and the way they weave together. At times, I thought that Robinson had a hard time keeping all the stories twined together and fought to keep it interesting. I think that it was ruined for me, as I figured out who-dun-it half way into the book. (Which I usually never can do)

I recommend this book to people that don't give up on books. I enjoyed the book in the end, but first you have to get over all the muck in the first half of the story.

The first novel by Robinson I've read, but not the last
This book is the first by Peter Robinson I have ever read. I picked it up because it was covered with blurbs from every major newspaper and magazine, so it seemed like a safe bet. I was not disappointed.

My favorite thing about the novel was the way it switched between several points of view in several time periods. As the mystery unfolds in the present, the story develops in the past, and the balance between the narratives is perfect and seamless. The characters are vividly drawn, and the plot constantly engaging.

The only thing that bothered me about the book was that it is obviously part of a series featuring Inspector Banks, and brief parts of the book are spent dwelling on events of previous books, and setting up situations for future books. But I know some people like their series detective novels to have a certain amount of story continuity between volumes, so I won't quibble too much. I'll definitely be checking out other books by Robinson.

Peter Robinson reaches an apex
This book is just a small departure from the normal Detective Banks format, but Peter Robinson is a gem when it comes to British murder mysteries. His books just keep getting better, and this book is so beautifully crafted that you are drawn into the story and wonderful characters. Each Inspector Banks book moves us further into his life and ties us closer to his very believable characters.This book takes a short detour into the past with a wonderfully creditable portrayal of wartime England, while moving the reader subltly along in Bank's life. Incredibly good read, stayed up all night to finish it. Peter Robinson sets new standards for British police proceedurals. Can hardly wait until the next one! I strongly recommend that you read absolutely every Inspector Banks mystery you can lay your hands on!!


Close to Home (Thorndike Press Large Print Core Series)
Published in Hardcover by Thorndike Pr (Largeprint) (2003)
Author: Peter Robinson
Amazon base price: $29.95
Average review score:

Strong Finish
Peter Robinson's Close to Home is an excellent crime/suspense novel that actually gets stronger as it goes along. The novel concerns the unexplained deaths of two teenage boys, over thirty years apart. Inspector Banks returns home from a Greek vacation to deal with the discovery of the bones of one of his old classmates who had been missing since the mid-sixties. The story of this murder is juxtaposed with the story of a young man who has disappeared and is soon discovered dead. The novel is full of suspense and plenty of red herrings. It's an enjoyable read, especially at the end. Frankly at the start I was a little wary. I've read a couple newly-discovered bones mysteries lately, and wasn't exactly searching for another, but this one keeps getting stronger as it goes along to its satisfying finish. Enjoy.

The deaths of two young boys hit "close to home."
In Peter Robinson's latest Inspector Banks novel, "Close to Home," Banks interrupts an idyllic vacation on a Greek island to look into the death of a childhood friend. Graham Marshall, a "mate" of Alan Banks when they were both teenagers, disappeared in 1965. A worker digging the foundation for a new shopping center unexpectedly uncovers a skeleton that turns out to be Graham's remains. Who killed Graham and why? Coincidentally, Banks, along with his former lover, Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot, also begins looking into the disappearance of Luke Armitage, a troubled teenager from a well-known family.

Banks has changed greatly over the years. He is mellower and more reflective than he has ever been before. Although he still likes to smoke and drink, Banks is beginning to feel the effects a bit more, and he is actually trying to cut down. In addition, now that his ex-wife and children have moved on with their lives, Banks has had a great deal of time to take stock of where his own life is heading.

"Close to Home" has many of Peter Robinson's trademark touches. The author delves deeply into the psyche of his characters. Robinson takes the time to humanize the police officers, the criminals, and the suspects in his novels. The reader becomes involved with their predicaments and deeply invested in the outcome of the story. In addition, Robinson introduces another interesting female character, Detective Inspector Michelle Hart, a woman with a tragic past to whom Banks is attracted.

In "Close to Home," unfortunately, Robinson missteps a bit. First of all, he has gone to the well once too often when he chose the "bones uncovered after many years" story line. This plot was used successfully in Robinson's own "In a Dry Season", and again in at least three other mysteries that I have read recently. I am surprised at this lack of originality in an author as creative as Robinson. In addition, at almost four hundred pages, the book meanders a bit and takes too long to reach its melodramatic denouement.

In addition, Robinson is a little too heavy handed when he hammers home his recurring theme, which is that the past is never really behind us. Until we come to terms with the events of long ago, and until we exorcise the demons that plague us, we can never hope to face the future and find happiness in life. Robinson has expressed this viewpoint in his previous novels many times, but with more finesse and subtlety than he does here. I have come to expect a great deal from an author as accomplished as Peter Robinson. Although "Close to Home" is a serviceable mystery, it is not an excellent one.

Great Entry
This Peter Robinson mystery is one of the best available,
and it is truly difficult to put down once started.
The hero, Chief D.I. Alan Banks is a complex character, in
both his professional and his personal life, and this book
continues his evolution as he continues to think about his
ex-wife, as well as his 2 children and their careers, and as
he wonders frequently where his personal life is headed.
Plus, he is facing "burn-out," as the murders and criminals
he faces routinely blunt his emotions and feelings, and he
fears he is withdrawing from some of his professional life.
The story revolves around 2 missing children, one of which
becomes his current case when the teen-age boy is found dead,
and the other of which was his buddy when he disappeared in
1965. There are so many parallels, Banks worries about both
cases, and he is drawn to the investigation of the old 1965
case in his hometown of Petersborough, while handling the
investigation of the other boy in his own jurisdiction of
North Yorkshire.
While Banks worries about his relationship with one of his
detectives, Annie, he meets up with an intriguing red-haired,
green-eyed woman detective, Michelle, who is working the
old 1965 case with new clues. So Banks has a lot on his
mind as he unravels one mystery, and he gets fully involved
in the second.
Both cases involve personal danger to both Banks and his staff,
and there is plenty of action, as well as the intellectual
stimulation Robinson puts together, and this is a very
satisifiying book, and one that is highly recommended.
Plus, you can learn a lot about English countryside life
and work, while Banks visits his retired parents and makes
the rounds while helping with the 1965 case.
Entertaining and fun.


Gallow's View
Published in Paperback by Berkley Pub Group (1997)
Author: Peter Robinson
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Peter Robinson's first novel in a great series.
What is the difference between Peter Robinson and most other mystery writers? If you have read any of this author's marvelous Inspector Banks novels, then you will know the answer. The other authors are sketch artists, while Robinson is an Impressionist master.

Robinson doesn't merely present a mystery for the readers to solve along with the protagonist. Robinson creates a distinctive setting and fully realized characters along with the mystery. The result is a novel that satisfies and leaves the reader eager for the next installment.

"Gallows View" sets up the Inspector Banks series nicely. It introduces Alan Banks, a detective who left London to work in Eastvale, a town in Yorkshire, where he lives with his wife and two children. Banks has a good working relationship with his superior, Gristhorpe, and with the other members of the police department in Eastvale. Banks is a flawed man. He is addicted to cigarettes, likes to imbibe his pint, and he has an eye for pretty ladies (although he wants to remain faithful to this wife).

The center of Banks's life is his relentless pursuit of justice, and his terrific instinct for how the criminal mind works. In "Gallows View," Banks investigates three different crimes: A Peeping Tom is terrorizing the women of Eastvale, a pair of thugs is robbing both the elderly and some rich residents of the town, and an elderly woman has been found dead. In the course of his investigation, we get to know how Banks operates and we also get inside the mind of the perpetrators.

In "Gallows View," Robinson explores the emotional and sexual tension between men and women and the difficulties of being a single parent. He does all this without preaching, and the themes are woven seamlessly into the story.

The solution to the crimes is not surprising or particularly exciting, but the character development is excellent and it is always a pleasure to be in the company of Inspector Alan Banks. If you have not read the rest of the series, at least be sure to read "In a Dry Season," which is a truly first rate Inspector Banks novel. "Gallows View" is worth a look because it is the first novel in this wonderful series.

High Quality Debut
This is a very high-quality debut novel by a writer whose popularity has sky-rocketed both in the UK and the US in the past couple of years.

The plot is not very challenging but it's realistic and very enjoyable. It's not too hard to get your head around either of the three main plots - but each is equally engaging - and sometimes that is just what i want in a crime novel. The storylines are thus: A peeping-tom is terrorising the women of the small Yorkshire town of Eastvale. A series of burglaries are being committed, first against the elderly, but then progressing to larger, more profitable homes. Also, an elderly woman is found dead in her house on Gallows View road...but are any of the cases linked?

Each plot is fascinating in it's way, especially the storyline involving the peeping tom, which i found to be a very original one to be among the main features of a novel. It becomes especially interesting when a psychologist is called in to give insight into the peepers character, and fans of the psychological aspects of crime are then presented with a different sort of criminal-psychology (other than that of the usual psychotic-killer psychology) which is refreshing and interesting.

Robinsons's writing style is addictive and very good, he has a strong sense of place, and he paints his characters really well. Inspector Banks in particular, the protagonist of the series, is especially well characterised and likeable. He also writes near-perfect dialogue.

I also liked the way the personal lives of the characters are weaved into the storyline more-so than in most novels, and were made an integral part of the story themselves. I hope he continues this trend in the other books...

All in all, i would reccomend this book to any fan of British police procedural novels (namely Ian Rankin, R.D Wingfield, Reg Hill, P.D. James, etc). It's realistic, enjoyable, with great characters and a satisfactory plot. I am looking forward immensely to reading more of this series...

Impressive First Novel
After having read PAST REASON HATED and BLOOD AT THE ROOT it was time to start at the beginning of this wonderful series. GALLOWS VIEW is the first novel that introduces Peter Robinson's creation of Inspector Alan Banks.

Women are being terrorized in the small English town of Eastvale by a peeping tom who likes to stare at women while they undress. There has also been a series of robberies affecting this small town but the police start taking notice when they find the body of Alice Matlock. The police cannot help themselves to wander if this was the work of outsiders or if the peeping tom passion has gotten to be deadly. Inspector Banks is in charge of the case and is working together with Dr. Jennifer Fuller to try to help him understand the mind of the voyeur and to see if there is possibility that he could be dangerous.

This book is a police procedural that does not carry a lot of surprises or revelations. What makes this book great is how the author takes what could be considered an ordinary day in the life of a police officer and make it interesting. Inspector Banks has some personal problems and he is attracted to the doctor. He wants to yield towards temptation and he knows it would not be right. The author does a good job also in showing life in a small town by showing the townspeople and involving them in the story. He adds everything from a camera club meeting all the way towards two teens heading into a life of trouble.

As a first novel, it is a very good book and helped in the understanding of Inspector Banks. There are quite a few of the author's work that follow this novel and it will be a pleasure to continue reading them in the future.


American Horticultural Society Practical Guides: Ponds And Water Features
Published in Paperback by Dk Pub Merchandise (1999)
Author: Peter Robinson
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Good But Left Me Wanting
This book had good technical information/illustrations for building a water garden but I would have liked more information on ideas for pond settings, examples of different types. After reading it, I was looking for another book . . .

An excellent book with lots of pictures and instructions
I knew I wanted to add water to my garden but I was not sure what or how. This book is filled with examples and ideas. It also contains detailed instructions and illustrations for installing various ponds and fountains. Then it goes on to complete the project with descriptions and photographs of plants for in and around a pond.

This may be the book you've been looking for.
Chances are, you're like me...you'd like to place a small pond in your garden. Not a large, elaborate, expensive, complicated pond; just a nice little pond with a perfect design. If so, this is the book for you. I have searched quite some time for a book that can guide me through this task without overkill. This book has it all in just the right amounts. Excellent photo's that don't look like they were taken in the sixties! Clear, concise and to the point, yet full of imaginative ideas. At this price, it's a steal.


Aftermath
Published in Digital by PerfectBound ()
Author: Peter Robinson
Amazon base price: $7.50
Average review score:

Standard police thriller
I found this book exciting and readable but never thought that I was reading more than an average serial killer story.

A Very Human Story
Acting Detective Superintendent Alan Banks has the challenge of his career with the discovery of a serial killer. It appears at first that the only thing that remains is to gather evidence and to determine if PC Janet Taylor used excessive force in subduing the apparent killer. Several difficult areas are explored: the serial murders around which the story is centered, together with child abuse, torture, domestic violence, and the excesive force question which might be worth a book on its own. Aftermath is as much the story of PC Taylor, Lucy Payne, and Maggie Forrest as it is of Banks. What happens to these three women is the "aftermath" of the title and stems from the abuse suffered years earlier by Lucy. How Robinson handles the issues and their fates is the true indicator of his mastery of the police procedural.

Robinson does not ask the reader to suspend disbelief; his novels are firmly grounded in reality with believable, all-too-human characters and events which are, unfortunately, all to familiar to our world. (Didn't we in my neck of the woods just go through the Sniper Case?) The impact Robinson's books have on the reader come from the way he handles these characters and events. In the hands of another writer Banks' problems with his divorce from Sandra, his tenuous relationship with Annie Cabbot and the ambivilence he feels toward Jenny Fuller, not to mention his own professional stresses, would be a big bore. Here each character is developed and displayed with mastery. A growing mastery as Robinson has (to borrow from the editorial review) grown before the reader's eyes from the first Banks novel, Gallows View.

I disagree with those who find this book boring, although I did find a few pages with what seemed to be padding, as with Maggie and her shrink. However, the other complaint, that Banks' personal life and relationships are irrelevant, misses the point: Banks the private man cannot be separated from Banks the investigator; these interpersonal relationships define him as much as his work defines him. Altogether a rewarding read and I look forward to the next installment.

Another stunning novel by the inimitable Peter Robinson.
I have run out of superlatives to describe Peter Robinson, who is arguably one of the finest writers of British police procedurals, on par with P. D. James and Ruth Rendell at their best. I have read ten out of the eleven Inspector Banks novels that Robinson has written over the years, and I have enjoyed most of them immensely.

In Robinson's latest novel, "Aftermath," Alan Banks is Acting Detective Superintendent in Yorkshire, substituting for his ailing boss. Banks is depressed and on the verge of career burnout. He smokes and drinks too much, he gets too little sleep, and he is overwhelmed by the demands of his job. In addition, his love affair with Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot is not going well. Banks is still grieving over his separation from Sandra, his wife of twenty years, and he has little time or energy to invest in social relationships.

Banks's life soon goes from bad to worse. He is caught up in the case of the Chameleon killer, a man who abducts and murders teenaged girls. The case appears to be solved when two detective constables respond to a call about a domestic disturbance. The constables open the door, only to find a house of horrors, and they discover the identity of the man who appears to be the Chameleon killer.

Those of us who know Peter Robinson quickly realize that the case is just beginning. Who is Terence Payne, the biology teacher who apparently abducted, raped and murdered the young girls? What role, if any, did Terence's wife, Lucy, play in her husband's heinous crimes? Was Lucy a victim of spousal abuse herself, too frightened to tell the police what her husband was up to, or is she hiding something about her own shadowy past?

As usual, Robinson creates a large cast of fascinating and believable characters, such as Maggie Forrest, a domestic abuse survivor who champions the cause of Lucy Payne, and Police Constable Janet Taylor, who stands accused of using excessive force while subduing Terence Payne.

Robinson brilliantly explores the theme that police officers who invest themselves in their jobs pay a huge emotional and physical price. He also studies the ways in which people handle personal crises and traumas, and the devastating effects of violence on people's lives.

With brilliant psychological insight, an unerring ear for dialogue, clever plotting and compassion for the human condition, Robinson has written a breathtaking novel of suspense. I recommend "Aftermath" unreservedly.


Innocent Graves
Published in Hardcover by Penguin USA (1999)
Author: Peter Robinson
Amazon base price: $21.95
Average review score:

Inspector Banks is an apathetic cipher., but story is great
This novel takes life seriously and asks the reader to examine some of his beliefs and assumptions about the world and existence. Unlike almost every crime novel (Thomas Cook and M. Connelly excluded)I read, this story has depth and "meat on its bones." For example we see how the police and the justice system can drive an innocent party to commit a heinous crime, which was only committed because the police were so eager to bring someone, anyone to trial. Also, we meet several very real lpeople, struggling to make it in life. Robinson pulls no punches in his gritty (often ugly) depiction of police officers and the squalid atmosphere of a police station for someone accused of a crime. Robinson pulls few punches in this story. Two problems, one major: 1)Minor: The parents of the murdered girl simply disappear from the novel--they needed a fuller role as the novel progressed; 2)Major problem: Main character, Banks, is flat and boring. His responses to what is going on around him almost make me think that he is clinically depressed, but Robinson doesn't give the reader any help in understanding the "major" character in the novel. Also, I assume the author wants us to think that Banks is an intelligent detective, but his willingness to acquiesce in the quick arrest of a suspect based on rather flimsy evidence and the zealousness of a clearly neurotic (obsessive) officer under his command makes this reader think that Banks is both apathetic (doesn't care who is arrested)and a poor detective.

Refreshing change from the everyday mystery!
This is the first book I have read from Robinson, and the only thing I regret is not finding this book sooner! This is an awesome novel by the extremely talented and humble Robinson. I must say, I truly enjoyed it for all it is worth. It is so deep, interesting, intelligant and inquesitive murder mystery. Never have I read a book that was so formally thought out. When you think you know who the killer is, there is always a twist and find myself questioning just how Peter Robinson will get himself put out of this theory, it alsmost seems impossible, but he always does. What guy. Pick up his books and read it people, honestly.

Banks investigates the murder of a teenaged schoolgirl.
Deborah Harrison is the affluent and intelligent daughter of an important businessman. One day, on her way home from St. Mary's school, she is strangled in a graveyard. The residents of the Yorkshire town of Eastvale are shocked by her death, and Deborah's father is pressuring the police to come up with a suspect quickly. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks is called in and he, along with his colleagues, arrest an English teacher for the crime. Peter Robinson does some interesting things in "Innocent Graves". He tells a good part of the story through the eyes of the arrested man, Owen Pierce, who swears that he is innocent. We experience Owen's panic and bitterness as he is processed through the criminal justice system and stands trial for a crime that he claims he did not commit. Robinson once again shows how difficult and painstaking police work is. Banks and his colleagues must interview dozens of people over a period of months to get to the truth. The patience and the perseverance of the Eastvale police force are strained to the breaking point during this case. The ending is a bit melodramatic and not completely believable. However, in spite of a few minor flaws, "Innocent Graves" is an engrossing mystery and a wonderful character study.


Blood at the Root
Published in Audio Cassette by Sunset Productions (1997)
Authors: Peter Robinson and Pat Vester
Amazon base price: $18.00
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Not as good as the others
In this novel things are not as they seem. Inspector Banks is sent to investigate a beating death outside of the English pub areas. Everything seems cut and dried at first since the victim was a renowned racist who was seen arguing with a group of Pakistani youths. If it were that simple there would not be a novel.

The book focuses on hatred and drug dealing. Inspector Banks is having major personal problems that at times might hinder his investigation. This is my second Inspector Banks novel (PAST REASON HATED being first). I intend to continue reading the series because I have heard many positive things about the character in other novels. This book was good but not as good as the one I previously read.

Not one of Robinson's best.
Having loved Robinson's splendid novel, "In a Dry Season," I have become a big fan of this talented author. Even though "Blood at the Root" is not a top notch mystery, it still features the charismatic Inspector Alan Banks. Banks is a music-loving detective with marital problems and a penchant for drinking when he gets depressed. He is also having problems with his supervisor, who absolutely loathes him. In short, Banks is a flawed individual, but when he gets on the scent of the suspect, he is persistent in tracking down any criminal unlucky enough to be in his sights. Unfortunately, this time around, Banks is mired in a dull mystery. The plot revolves around neo-Nazi types who are trying to foster racial hatred in their community. One of their members is found brutally murdered, and the main suspects are Pakistani youths who had an argument with the victim before he was killed. The victim, as well as the other people who figure in this mystery, are not particularly compelling. However, I am still impressed with Robinson's sharp dialogue and his ability to delineate characters, and I will continue to read his work.

Note change of title from UK edition
For those hunting for all Peter Robinson books, you should note that "Blood at the Root" was originally published in the UK as "Dead Right". Don't go ordering both....


Snapshots from Hell: The Making of an MBA
Published in Hardcover by Warner Books (1994)
Author: Peter Robinson
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True enough
I read this book just as I started B-school and it scared me well and good. Like Robinson I was a "poet", meaning I was a liberal arts major among financial and engineering types. I can certainly empathize with Robinson's struggles to grasp the more quantitative disciplines of business, since I went through my own miserable times. But I think the review right before me makes a good point, that getting IN to business school is the hard part, especially for an elite program like Stanford. The school certainly doesn't want students to flunk out or struggle too much, since all that does is hurt the school's precious statistics. While business school ain't a picnic, it isn't the trial of tears that Robinson makes it out to be.

But the book is entertaining enough, and even though Robinson was a speechwriter for President Reagan and writers for Republican presidents tend to be an especially odious sort, he seems a decent guy. One problem that Robinson identified and I heartily agree with is the lack of, well, overall intelligence and awareness in business school students. I'll readily admit that I can't crunch numbers as well as many of my former classmates, but I was amazed at how ignorant many of the folks in school were. They had no idea who Larry Ellison was. Discussions about government policy rarely went above a 10th-grade level. My ethics class was a revelation. I don't think anyone else in my class ever studied philosophy and it seemed like they looked at ethics as an obstacle to be hurdled rather than as a code to define proper behavior. Depressing stuff.

But Robinson made it through B-school, and so did I (in my case, barely. Going part-time and working full-time while planning a wedding was a pain the rear. Can't imagine folks who go to school when they have little kids. Insane). The only problem with this book now is how dated it is. Robinson went to B-school in the heart of Silicon Valley, yet the words "e-commerce" and "dot.com" are nowhere to be found in the book. Robinson and his fellow students interviewed with the usual investment banks, which today almost seems quaint. What, no one dropped out to found a company that had a multibillion dollar IPO six months later?

All in all a good read, but if you're thinking about getting your MBA I don't think this is a totally accurate picture of what you're going to endure. Still, it's well worth a read.

An accurate and entertaining essay on the MBA experience.
Written in an easy to read, natural style,this book describes the trials and tribulations of undertaking an MBA degree at a prestigious Californian university. While at first it appears to ask us to suspend disbelief (the author was one of Ronald Reagan's speechwriters!), it soons moves on to a fascinating account of the life of an MBA student. Coming from a non-business background, Peter Robinson struggles with much of the course material, but finds time to think about and discuss the philosophies behind the subjects he is studying, as well as examining the psyches of his fellow students. Guaranteed to cause flashbacks for anyone who has studied at university as a 'mature' student!

MUST-READ FOR ANYONE GOING TO BUSINESS SCHOOL!!!
"Snapshots From Hell" provides an inside look at Stanford, in the heart of Silicon Valley, which along with Harvard is one of the two or three top business schools in the world. Since the author's background was words, not numbers--Robinson was a White House speechwriter--he struggled with the course work, and he makes you both laugh and feel for him as he sweats his way through the work. At the same time, Robinson reports on classmates who found the workload easier than he did, providing a balanced look at what business school is like and giving you a feeling for the range of characters you'll meet there. Informative--and always entertaining (I read it in one day). The book to read before going to B-school!


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