This book is a winner ! I am amazed at the initiative of Mr Denson as a kid to have the vision and mission to take as many photographs as he did. I grew up on Coney Island. I lived there until 1957. I lived on W 21st, between Mermaid and Neptune Aves.I Attended PS 80 and Mark Twain JHS.I would have liked to see more pictures and references to my area in Coney Island, but that is something I should do. Denson is from the more western part. The history and writing style is top-notch and the quality of the book is first rate. Highly recommended.

I was/always will be a Coney Island kid myself, and reading Charles Denson's accounts left me breathless. This book will transport you to a place in time that few people really know well. The writing is flawless and magical--a treat for all of your senses. Memories you never knew you had will be awakened. Thank you, "Charlie from Building 3," for this wonderful book. It was like reading an exerpt of my own autobiography. It is a work of art that will be treasured for generations to come.

Coney Island Lost and Found is just such a joy to read. A lifelong resident of the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, not far from Coney, reading this book reignited my memories and interest in this amazing fantasyland. Charles Denson's writing is well crafted and the reader can tell he put not only a lot of time and hard work in compiling all the information, but he also put his heart into this book. It captures one's imagination and is a sheer delight to anyone interested in the background of Coney Island. A memoir, an historical text, a delight. Highly
recommended.

This book is the second volume in the Library of America set on American crime noir. I enjoyed the first volume so much that I decided to read the second one during Christmas break. Once again, the LOA has done a nice job of collecting a fine series of stories. These stories were written during the 1950's and 1960's. The book is nice to look at too; it's covered in red cloth with a cloth bookmark.

The first story is from the demented mind of Jim Thompson. This story, called The Killer Inside Me, is much better than The Grifters, a book by Thompson that I read some time ago. The Grifters seemed to be pretty one-dimensional with respect to its characters. This story is the exact opposite. A deputy sheriff in a Texas city has a terrible secret. He plays dumb on the outside, but inside he is a cunning sociopath. A long simmering resentment leads to a terrible revenge. Bodies quickly stack up as a result. This seems to be the story that Thompson is best known for and it's no surprise why. This is a dark, twisted tale with a grim ending.

Patricia Highsmith wrote a whole series of stories concerning Tom Ripley. The one included here is The Talented Mr. Ripley, probably better known due to the recent film with Matt Damon. This tale isn't as noir as I would have liked, but it still has enough twists and turns to keep anybody in suspense. Ripley is a low class conniver who ingratiates himself into a wealthy family who wants him to go to Italy and bring back their son. Ripley sees the potential for bucks and meets up with the kid and his lady friend. Of course, things take a turn for the worse and the bodies start stacking up. This story was probably my least favorite out of the entire collection.

The next story, Pick-Up, by Charles Willeford, is a depressing tale about two alcoholics who go bump in the night. The story follows the adventures of this alcoholic couple as they attempt suicide, check themselves into a mental hospital, and drink themselves into a stupor. After the female half of the couple dies in another suicide pact, the story switches to a prison tale. The end is somewhat of a twist, but really doesn't impact the story that much, in my opinion. Again, not really noir as noir can be, but still a fine story that can stand by itself.

Down There, by David Goodis, is a wild ride of a tale. Full of suspense and death, this is a great story that deserves to be included here. A family of ne'er-do-wells drags their talented piano-playing brother into their personal problems. The background information on Eddie, the piano player, is phenomenal. The tragedy that has struck him once is bound to repeat itself again. This story has great bit characters that really liven up the background.

The final story, by Chester Himes, is The Real Cool Killers. This is noir on acid: pornographic violence, massive doses of grim reality, and characters you're glad to see get killed. The story is set in Harlem and involves two tough cops named Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson. Someone kills a white guy in Harlem and the cops try and track them down. This story contains one of the funniest descriptions of a person falling off a balcony that I've ever read (and I've read a few, disturbingly enough). The writing has enough similes and metaphors to give Raymond Chandler an apoplectic fit. A cool story that certainly deserves a place in this book.

If you like noir, read these two LOA novels. They are long (together they're almost 2000 pages) but it is definitely worth the effort. These kinds of stories are just a great way to while away some free time and relieve stress.

I gave it 5 stars based on the collection as a whole, rather than each story individually. I enjoyed all of the stories, in that they were a good representation of the genre as a whole, yet they were all stylistically different.

Individually, I would rate the stories in pretty much the order they appear in the book. "The Killer Inside Me" is the most powerful, in my opinion, and is a great indroduction to Jim Thompson if you haven't read his work previously. "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is also excellent, and is a must read for any fan of crime fiction. What I found more interesting was the contrast between the protagonists in the first two novels. Both are cold-hearted killers, but you couldn't find two more different voices. Its a tribute to both Mr. Thompson and Ms. Highsmith that you actually root for these people to get away with their crimes.

The other three novels are good, but they pale in comparison to the first two. "Pick-up" is a good study in a relationship between two alcoholics who know they are alcoholics and are okay with it. It takes awhile for the crime to be committed, but its an interesting journey. I didn't care for the twist ending, but that's just me. "Down There" was interesting to read, if only because it was the basis for a great movie. "The Real Cool Killers" was the only story of the five that I had trouble getting through. I think that was because I didn't really care (or even really believe) that A) a group of street punks would dress in the manner they were described in, or that B) a pair of street detectives would be as violent, feared, and given such free reign as the ones in this novel.

All in all, a good book to add to your collection, if only for the one-two punch of Thompson and Highsmith (by the way, that would be a great name for a law firm).

I usually don't like genre fiction, but this book is a great collection of "Noir" novels. Film buffs will be particularly interested in reading the novel on which "Shoot the Piano Player" was based, as well as the first "Mr. Ripley" novel (much nastier and darker than the recent film). Most highly recommended.

I am a hugely ardent fan of the movie... and I think I have to admit that is even better. It goes into a lot more depth- this is apparently what Pogue really wanted to do with the screenplay but couldn't. You get tons more about character here too and the whole story is somehow filled out. There are some very funny bits (Gilbert's first encounter with Draco par example...), and some haunting dark passages - a lot of Einon's thoughts...
And everything describing Draco and his thoughts is just beautiful... There's a bit near the end where he wants a last flight and sunshine which completely breaks my heart *sob*.
It's the sort of book I will gladly stay up all night reading... beautifully written... just amazing!!!




(Pls. note: this review was written by me about the BOOK - I don't know how much the tape has been abridged, but I strongly suggest you read the book anyway cos, as I said, it's brilliant!!)

I read this book because of an article I read in which Charles Edward Pogue claimed that his screenplays for Dragonheart & Kull were savaged by their Directors. To give the man a fair shake, I read his Dragonheart Novel. I can see why he was so upset! Wherever the film takes a wrong turn, the Novel goes in the right direction. Everything that is wrong about the film is RIGHT in the Novel. The writing, while now and then a little spare [which is better than overwriting] and a little too modern, is, overall, exceedingly literate [some of the dialogue is close to Tad Williams level]. The characters are believable and involving. The story explains itself and it's world. I HIGHLY recommend buying a copy of Dragonheart!

Ijust have to say that I love this book!! Also the movie is Awesome!!!!

I found this little book to be a summary of Colson's philosophy as expressed through twelve messages. The effect that this had on me is phenomenal; he made me rethink my future plans and basically, caused a mid-college crisis.

The main ideas in this book will be repeated several times because he gives them in the form of speeches, not as a long, narrative discourse. Several (of the many!) themes are: freedom is found in a moral law p.20; a way of doing apologetics by porving that only the Christian way makes sense (p. 55); knowable, scholarly truth and it is the highest goal one can pursue (p.75). His plea for presuppositional apologetics (even if you are not a presuppostionalist, I think you would understand his point, p.114); the Christian duty seek the glory of God in one's vocation (p.138); despair is sin because it denies the sovereignty of God (repeated over and over but articulated on p. 165); a rational approach to ethics is pointless if it lacks a will to do what is right (p.194).

Final Analysis:
By now I hope you have an understanding of what Colson is trying to convey. This is a brief summary of what is found in *How Now Shall We Live* and *Being the Body* (But please read both of those as well). It is curious to see what the West would be like if Christian's took up Colson's challenge.

An excellent read! Colson once again addresses several relevant issues facing our culture today.

The book is a compilation of addresses by Colson at various meetings (college commencements, Bible conferences, etc.) and covers a wide range of topics: conscience, personal integrity, the choice between right and wrong, leadership (this address alone is a gem and my personal favorite!), and other subjects.

Consistent with his other books, Colson challenges the reader to know what you believe and why you believe, especially from a Christian worldview. Colson encourages us to think through our beliefs and not just live on emotion alone.

Buy the book and be challenged and inspired by one of the great Christian apologists of today!

Chuck Colson is a man who is both humble, and a perfect example of what I believe a Christian should be. Yes, he went to prison because of Watergate, but he came out a changed man. A man who has never played the pity party game, and when he speaks he does so with a firm voice and a firm understanding of Boblical truth. He is also a refreshing change because he seeks to actually do the leg work and put in the elbow grease to make positive change. Colson also is great because he writes in a manner that is attractive to educated men and women. And it is often the educated who need his words...

A better book could not have fallen into my hands! An American professor in Venice recommended it, and after I read it I was only sorry I had not read it before going to Italy. The mystery of its medieval, rather Renaissance cities (Florence, Venice, among others) would have been clearer; even today's Italians' ways and personality. So much a product of Renaissance Italy...and its wonderful heritage from Ancient Rome. I truly recommend this book for Italy lovers, anyone going there soon, or for the sheer joy of reading a good history book. Jacob Burckkhardt is one of the most intelligent, enlightened historians I know.

I was around twelve when my grandmother mentioned having heard a speech delivered by Woodrow Wilson.

For me, until that moment, Woodrow Wilson had been in the same category with Julius Caesar: people who lived a long time ago. But for my grandmother, only Caesar could be in that category: Wilson was an early contemporary of her own. I began to realize that the citizens of the past were real people, that the lives of the past were lives as large and rich and strange as our own.

Everybody who survives high school can remember at least one teacher who made the study of history look like a matter of memorizing names and dates. Such teachers often manage to create in their students a permanent allergy to the study of history. But it has been two hundred years since they could do so with a good conscience.

Voltaire was the first modern writer of history--we might say, the first historian of culture. Chiefly through his masterpiece The Age of Louis XIV, he established the principle that history is not just about who ruled when and who killed whom--that it is about all the aspects of human culture, all the means--arts and entertainment, philosophy and religion and science, as well as economics, politics, and war--by which we seek to create permanent triumphs of mind over the natural forces of chaos and entropy.

We need not fool ourselves: those forces will finally destroy us and all our works. But while we live, we can make life richer for ourselves and for those who will follow us. The writer from whom I first learned that historical writing could be such an enriching force was Burckhardt.

The Renaissance was indeed the modern rebirth of ancient culture, but what makes it important is that through that rebirth people rediscovered a truth that the ancient Ionians had known and that had been lost sight of for more than a thousand years: that the natural world, and people as part of it, were worthy objects of study and understanding--not just creatures and tools of God. With this discovery, made permanent because it could now be broadcast by the new technology of printing, begins the process of modernity--the process that still continues to increase our world's psychological distance from the ancient and the medieval world.

Jacob Burckhardt had one of those rare minds who could construct a new synthesis out of thought, government, art, and culture -- and who, for the first time, made it possible to talk about the Renaissance as a moment in the history of Western man.

This is a very dense work with flashes of genius as well as long scholarly footnotes with extensively quoted Italian and Latin. In a book by a dullard, this would be excruciating. But Burckhardt is anything but as he manages his material like a Moscow taxi driver: by accelerating and then coasting. When you least expect it, another epiphany draws you in.

Burckhardt's Renaissance was an incredible high in the history of mankind. The Medicis, Sforzas, and Malatestas strut their way through the history of the period; Dante, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bramante create works of the imagination that still overpower us; popes like Julius II, Alexander VI, and Leo X combine worldliness with spirituality (sometimes); and even the average man has a face and a voice for the first time.

This book will make your blood race.

I agree with all the positive things said about Donne on this page. Also, this book's great strength is its breadth, including poems, letters, sermons, and other writings of Donne. One gets all the poems and most of his available prose. The only difficulty I had is that all of the poems are presented without any effort to modernize the spelling of words. Often, this distracts from a more perfect enjoyment of Donne's wit, sentiment, conceits and emotions. For those who might find antiquated spelling a distraction, I recommend they find another edition.

In John Donne, the artist and man, we have a many-faceted gem. What moves me most about him, who in my view has no superiors among English poets, is that wherever he speaks from, the most sensually playful to the most solemnly prayerful (the two are often inseparable), he is always so openly, deeply engaged. His unsurpassed verbal ability is always so immediately in touch with his perception so that his language moves and lives with the mysterious life of perception itself. Even when he is most elaborately inventive and involved, he is never contrived or remote, he is always fully there. His art is fed and shaped by his perception and his perception is always so fresh and penetrating, so uninhibited by assumption and convention and yet wherever he travels he is somehow always so available to the sincere reader. For me this all bespeaks a sensitive, large, generous soul. It is always so self-aware, but never self-centered, and even when weak and mortally distressed it is still deep and rich, never thin, sour, bitter. A very lovable soul.
Often one finds references to T. S. Eliot when people speak or write about Donne. For me, the references are usually facile and Donne is clearly the greater figure. It says much to me that I love him dearly though I do not share his religious belief. I respect Eliot, but I find it much more difficult to love him and often even to locate him. He is too cold and artificially remote in comparison and I do not accept the validity of his 'impersonal transcendence'. I am not saying that Eliot should have tried to be more in touch with the reader, that is a silly idea and never a real concern for a genuine artist. I am saying that he should have tried to be more in touch with himself. He is in reality no more inwardly complex or many-faced than Donne, and certainly not more profound, but by comparison he seems cold, fragmented and stagnant to me and simply more inclined to wear his sweat on his sleeve. I know that some might say that Eliot had more difficult times and trials to deal with than did Donne, but I think that anyone who familiarizes himself with the wide range of Donne's work, and this volume from The Modern Library makes that possible, will see this is simply not true. Any one who is not familiar with Donne's work is unaware of some of the deepest, richest, vivifying depths that English language art has reached. It has something to do with love of which Donne knew much.

This volume is a wonderful selection of Donne's prose, and is especially useful for the various sermons included. John Donne is a brilliant poet whose skillful use of language and understanding of the paradoxes of Christianity are a delight. To have the entire range of his poetry, pre- and post-conversion, is very useful.

A great reference tool for the student of literature, and a good read (Oxford English dictionary readily accessible, of course).

I bought this book because I'm interested in series on discovery such as: Forensic Detectives, Medical Detectives and The Fbi Files. This book describes everything(see table of contents) in detail, from the history of crime investigation till gunshots etc. After almost every subject, the book gives real life examples and pictures.

After reading reviews I bought it and I don't regret it. It's the most excellent book in the field and often used on universities. The book isn't cheap, but if you're really interested in these subjects it's certainly worth the price.

This book is by far one of the best of the criminal justice books that I have ever read. If it wasn't required reading for my Criminal Investigations class, I just might have picked it up and read it on my own. This book is one of the most interesting and easy to read books that has ever been required reading. The photography in the text helps with the topics in the reading much more than in any other books I've read. Though a bit gruesome, the photos are of great quality and only help the book that much more.

I initially purchased this book as required reading for a Police Sergeant promotional exam but, I realized that it was the most informative text on investigations that I have read to date. The text is very well written and most of the material is applicable in any jurisdiction. The book includes a good number of illustrations and photos and I'm positive that I'll be referring back to this book throughout my career as a police officer.

Charles Shea LeMone's novel has everything a good detective story needs: an original plot with clues given along the way; an intelligent protagonist that we grow to care about; quirky and not-to-be-trusted suspects; and a love interest. His unique way of unifying the events, places, and people of his story create a seamless pattern that cannot be simply summed up.

Another thing that I like about this author is how he describes his characters. He gives insight into them without being tedious. LeMone seems to relish the agony and the ecstasy that he puts his main character through. At once brooding and yet sensual, Solomon Priester is an articulate and cynical young man. He is searching for answers ~ in his life as well as in this strange case that he feels compelled to involve himself. A poetry-spouting young woman, one more fare in the middle of the night in the middle of the city places our main character in a dangerous mix of cops, illicit sex, and money.

The result is a fun and speculative read!

I read this book a couple of years ago and was totally swept into the character Solomon Priester's life. He cruises the streets of LA while moonlighting as a cabbie. When he's questioned by the police about the murder of his last fare- a young woman & phone-sex operator- he's intrigued and takes the case on himself. Despite being harassed, threatened, discredited, roughed up, vandalized, shot at, etc. he ultimately unravels the case. What puts this story a cut above others is the author's vivid imagery, articulate sensitivity, and humorous style.

I totally enjoyed this surprise-filled mystery that took me right out of my 9-5 life and deep into the sinister underworlds of L.A. The writing is vivid, the characters are originals, the dialogue and situations crackle with intensity... The main character, Priester, is an engaging and fascinating private detective wanna-be with a poetic nature whom you will love to go along on the ride with... I highly recommend this book!

an amazing look at the reality of life as illustrated by one who tells it like it is without shame

classic bukowski
long narrative thoughtful poetry carefully planned and executed regardless of how he may have described his own techniqe here
the ending short poem is classic

Absolutely top drawer. Whenever i get worked up over paying bills, decorating a house, having the right career, blah blah blah. I turn to this book, pick a page and start reading. Some of the poetry is distilled meaning of life. Some would say a woman wouldn't like bukowski. Some probably wouldn't. To me he's like the print version of Tom Waits. Knows the meaning of life and drinks a beer to the struggle.

This is one of the funniest books ever written by french intellectuals. The only field work ever done by the founder of structuralist anthropology, who preferred to work from his Paris armchair, its centerpiece is an account of how Claude loses touch with the rest of the company and in the process of trying to find them by firing his revolver, also scares his pack-mule away and thereafter discovers the dangers of writing.

It comes as no surprise to students of L-S to find that the elegiac quality to his science (recherche des temps perdu, indeed!) starts in his formative years in the Amazon jungle. There L-S search for Comte's structure finds the romance of the human mystery, and it sings...a song that would continue through his complex studies of myths...the Immortal has a soul and that soul is the human condition, individual and ineffable; this book is a coda to the nostalgia of Rousseau's savage in Provident nature.

The traditional definition of anthropology is the study of man. And the activity immediately associated therewith are the field notes taken on the spot which the anthropologist then transcribes so the immediacy of his findings is preserved.

Then there is Claude Levi-Strauss, often called the 'armchair anthropologist.' This literate personage journeyed through central Brazil in the 30s, only to record his findings some 20 later in his book Tristes Tropiques, an untranslated title because no equivalent can be found in English.

Reminiscent of his forebear, Marcel Proust, Levi-Strauss presents us with memories distilled through time from which a structure emerges. Let me make clear that Tristes Tropiques is not a chronological account of Levi-Strauss' travels through South America.

Recollections, filtered in Tristes Tropiques, are further distilled in subsequent works and become systems or units which can be analyzed structurally, resulting in the fundamental concept of structuralism, that of universal analogies whose 'differences resemble each other.' One social organization, one myth is without value. Compared to a multitude, they acquire meaning.

Proust's universe is that of his personal recollections, whereas Levi-Strauss extends his own and from there goes on to establish cross-cultural analogies. But both are a product of the French intellectual tradition. The supremacy of the mind goes back to Rene Descartes, the 17th century French philosopher who said: "Je pense, donc je suis." "I think, therefore I am."