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Book reviews for "Smith,_Richard" sorted by average review score:

Bean: The Script Book
Published in Paperback by Harperperennial Library (1997)
Authors: Richard Curtis, Robin Driscoll, and Mel Smith
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very great books for Mr. Bean Fans
this book, which i bought, is a very great book for all Mr. Bean Fans. I collect all Mr. Bean videos, various books from and about him. This book is a very great bonus to the bean cinema-film, especially the chapter of the outtakes from the film, is very recommended and neccesarry for all real Mr. Bean fans.

Total Bean feast
Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean is one of the most engaging characters to come along. His bumbling, innocent, ignorant goodness is hard to resist. This book chronicles the process of bringing Mr. Bean from the telly to the movie screen. It includes: film stills, dialogue and blocking from the film, a forward by director Mel Smith, and behind the scenes tidbits. A must have for Bean-a-philes and anyone who wants to delve into the wacky and wild world of Mr. Bean.

Cool!!!
I like the book because I am a huge Mr Bean fan!! I love the movie and the videos and the book was an extra bonus! And I really like it.


Fender : The Sound Heard 'Round the World
Published in Paperback by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation (2003)
Author: Richard R. Smith
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Great Fender Book
This is by far the best Fender book I have. It is very well written, and it makes for some good reading. He doesn't only describe the great things about Fender but the bad things and mistakes as well.

This is a very un-biased book and it's very nice to read. The pictures in this book are awesome, and this is only one of the books I have that I trust the facts on. Kudos to Mr. Smith!

More than a reference book or fan tribute.
I have a half dozen books on the Fender company and this is by far the best. The typical vintage guitar book serves two functions. It gives information on the history of the instrument - guides to production dates, etc. In addition there are usually lots of pictures for lovers of vintage instruments to salivate over ("guitar porn" as I've seen it described before). This book delivers in that regard, but does not stop there.

It goes on to serve as an excellent study of a small business struggling to survive and then coping with its own success. I found it hard to put down. Even though I knew the outcome, I found myself carried along with the story. Enough "insider detail" is provided to reveal character and move the "plot," but not enough to bog the book down. The book also serves as the best biography of Leo Fender that I have read. He is revealed as an inspired man with significant flaws. Importantly, "revealed" is the operative word here. Smith generally does not preach or make pronouncements. He describes actions and quotes interviews. The reader is left to his own conclusions.

Fender: Warts and All
Smith does a great job of telling us who Leo Fender really was: a simple man with a complex mind. The pages of this book are loaded with lots of interesting stories and facts about the man who developed the solid-body electric guitar. Not always complimentary, yet never vicious. An honest presentation of the man who provided the tools that helped create rock-and-roll. Obviously well-researched with many great photos of Fender and his "offspring".


In Cold Blood
Published in Paperback by New American Library (1991)
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Capote Comes Through
Truman Capote combines a real life event and all of the components of a novel into one beautiful and emotional thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats. By his use of the suspense, Truman electrifies the atmosphere and keeps the emotional roller coaster at mach three. Gruesome detail leaves the reader feeling as if he had witnessed the crime in first person. Although Capote could have pictured the murder at the very beginning of the book, he continually switching back and forth between the narrator and the different characters. By giving the narrator omnicient abilities the reader is able to probe into the mind of a maniac. This also gives the reader a sense of fright and unsettlement, the likes of which are only known when watching "Psycho." Capote takes on an entirely different and untested writing style in "In Cold Blood." He calls his new style the "non-fiction novel." By writing about a real life murder in novel form, Truman achieves in making the hair on the back of the readers neck stand on end and not lay down for days after the completion of the book. I believe that everyone should read this book. First for the sheer blood curdling entertainment and second for the great and almost frightening writing style that includes ever so colorful language and such suspense that will leave the reader screaming into the book to tell him what happened that faitful night.

A Horrid Crime, A Twisted Justice for Aquitted Murderers
After reading In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, the formerly obscure vision of "natural born killers" is finally illuminated by their own words. To paraphrase Perry Smith, the killer of the Clutter family, somebody had to pay for all of the cruelty he had suffered during his life, even though these people were completely unknown to him, innocent of any wrongdoing, and admirable from every point of view.

The book chronicles the crime of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, who, acting upon information provided by one of Hickock's former fellow inmates, drive off to Kansas to pursue the contents of one Mr. Herbert Clutter's alleged home safe. Mr. Herbert Clutter, an immensely successful and humble Kansas farmer, and his wife, teen-aged son and daughter are spending a typical quiet Saturday evening at home. After the family retires for the evening, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock walk into the house to make their big score. Upon discovering that there is no safe and precious little cash at the Clutter residence, Smith and Hickock systematically murder each member of the family. Each of the victims is tied up and shot in the head. So ends the lives of a fine, decent American family and so begins the examination of the crime in the seamless, highly readable account by Truman Capote.

Truman Capote takes the reader with the murderers on their long journey to the hangman's noose in the most intelligent manner of any crime writer to date. He doesn't leave anything out of the events and lives of the murderers and yet there is nothing superfluous or gratuitous about the account.

In Cold Blood is quite a departure from Breakfast at Tiffany's, to say the least, but for anyone who has read Answered Prayers, it is easy to look back with that good old twenty-twenty hindsight to see that Truman Capote never shrinks from an unpleasant topic. He, in fact, embraces it with his customary gusto and stylish restraint. However, In Cold Blood, presents the reader with an array of issues to ponder and inspiration to learn more about the trial. Mr. Capote addresses the possibility that the two killers were denied a fair trial since the venue of the trial was right in the heart of the region where the Clutter family were known and loved by so many. There was serious questioning about the competency of the prosecution and defense attorneys, the impartiality of the judge. All kinds of good stuff to chew on, to this day, if you are a hard-core advocate of the rights of the incarcerated self-confessed murderer. There is also some rather toothsome stuff for those who fervently believe in capital punishment (but would be content with plain old punishment) in cases such as O.J. Simpson. There is a twisted form of satisfaction, a faintly amusing irony, to be derived from the notion that Perry Smith and Richard Hickock paid with their lives for the future celebrated murderers who got off Scot-free. I wonder how Perry Smith would feel about that? Could his twisted sense of justice make any sense of that concept?

In Cold Blood is deftly written to leave the determinations of the outcome of the case to the reader. It would have been so easy for Truman Capote to slide in his own sentiments about the case but he stuck to excellence in writing, in reportage, and creating another one of those "can't put it down" books of my summer of 1999.

A very good read!
You won't be able to put this book down, and when you're done with it, you'll sit for awhile, deep in reflection of the journey you've just made.


Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson
Published in Hardcover by Krause Publications (2001)
Authors: Jim Supica and Richard Nahas
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BEST GUN REFERENCE EVER!
From the author of IMPORTED MILITARY FIREARMS 1866-1899:

I wish that all such books were as good as this one-- including mine! Everything is laid out logically, with good pictures, so that it is very easy to quickly find your piece without knowing much more than "its an S&W". All the stats are there plus a lot of minutia, which might bore the average reader, but if you happen to have one of those things, you just can't get enough of it. Also, the irreverant writing style goes a long way towards offsetting the dry nature of a reference.

Better late than never
There is not much I can add beyond Mr. Irwin's review except to say that Supica and Nahas have written a highly thorough, readable, and entertaing text that S&W collectors and fanciers will find very useful for years to come. It only goes up to late 1995 however, so certain newer guns like the model 696 are not covered. I would still say that it is a treasure trove of good information, but for S&W company history, Jinks is the undisputed authority. This book is more of a product overview, so keep Supica and Nahas right next to Jinks on your bookshelf.

An excellent and long-overdue reference
The first comprehensive treatment of Smith & Wesson handguns since the publication of Roy Jinks seminal history of the company, Supica and Nahaus provide a wealth of information on model variations, factory production codes, serial numbers, and values.

Supica and Nahaus also add information on many of S&W's other products; training aids, ammunition, police supplies.

While it has a few flaws, its excellent black & white photography and glossary of terms make it a must for just about any Smith & Wesson collector or afficionado.


The 60-Day Diet Diary
Published in Paperback by Dell Books (Paperbacks) (1986)
Authors: Karen Kreps and Richard Smith
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Outstanding Tool to Track Caloric Intake and Excercise
This inexpensive diary is loaded with terrific drawings and cute messages to motivate the reader to write down everything eaten and all exercises. The info provided in this pocket-size diary is eminently usable, and the reader is given incentive to THINK about what he or she is putting into the mouth by writing it down, plus total daily calories, exercise and daily weight. If you want to control what you're eating, by all means buy this handy and inexpensive diary!

Great tool for keeping track of your food intake
this handy record keeping tool is great for monitoring food intake. A very helpful tool and I wish they would reprint it - soon!!.


China's Cultural Heritage: The Qing Dynasty, 1644-1912
Published in Paperback by Westview Press (1994)
Author: Richard J. Smith
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A rich portrait of a culture
This book is a model for what a cultural survey should be. It begins with an excellent brief survey of Chinese history of the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries, then surveys many things I wanted to know about an alien culture. I was most intrigued by the chapter on "Language and Symbolic Reference" (read after my brief traveller's survival course in Manderin). Dr. Smith explored not only the differences between the language and those of the West, but their implications for the Chinese style of thought: e.g., the spoken vocabulary is rich in homonyms and puns, leading to a style of reasoning by analogy and verbal similarity that comes far less naturally to speakers of the Romance languages.

Smith also covers, for instance, social class, economics, religion and philosophy, art, literature, popular culture...an endless parade of the things mere histories rarely mention.
This is certainly the most interesting book I've read in a decade. I highly recommend it.

One of the best books ever written
This book gives a detailed picture of Qing Dynasty which ruled China from 1644-1912. It also tells the creation of the mighty empire and how it end feudalism in China. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Chinese history.


The Chronicles of Adrian Smith: The Audit Report
Published in Paperback by 1stBooks Library (2003)
Author: Richard Neumann
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Fascinating & Fun Story about Alien and Human Alliances!!
This is a great story for anyone who has ever stopped at the end of the day to contemplate a different career or life. It's a good mix of science fiction, history and a mystery. As the story unfolds the characters develop in strong and memorable ways creating unexpected but very pleasing relationships. It takes a fun look at our culture now and some serious reflection at our past. The action develops strong characters with deep convictions which made me feel strongly about them and the outcome of the story. They interact on earth, in spaceships and in another galaxy, creating a different perspective at each location. Curiosity about what was going to happen next kept me turning the pages!

I had some good laughs with this story and I cried. The characters became real; the development of the relationships from the choices the characters made portrayed a lot of depth about how we affect those around us and who we end up close to. I ended up really liking them! It was intriguing to peal away the layers of their personalities while solving the mystery. I loved connecting the events from one time and place to another. He created images I thoroughly enjoyed and could easily visualize. They are very vivid - even down to the flying lizard catching an eclipse moth for lunch! I would love to see this made into a movie!

Richard Neumann has woven an intricate story that crosses time and galaxies. It's done with humor and sensitivity to the proper nuances of "each" culture. It truly was fun reading! You'll want to visit again the very intriguing life of Adrian Smith, CPA. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to read more!! It was a great break from my day to day life!

An excellent read, for recovering accountants, and others!
Richard Neumann's Adrian Smith is Douglas Adams's Zaphod Bebblebrox, with a CPA qualification (Certified Public Accountant). A larger than life satirical hero, but an accountant?!

After all, we in the US did invent Star Wars, Star Trek ... and Enron.

I thoroughly recommend this book as a very well written story, with great dialogue, memorable characters set in an interesting period of history (San Francisco's Panama-Pacific Exhibition of 1915 and the beginning of the First World War in Europe), and a very satisfying conclusion - opening the way for more Adrian Smith Chronicles?

This reader wants to see additional titles on Adrian Smith CPA's adventures at large in Richard Neumann's delightful universe.


Foundations of Powerbuilder 5.0 Programming
Published in Paperback by Hungry Minds, Inc (19 August, 1996)
Authors: Brian J. Smith, Gordon W. Schaad, Richard Castler, Jon E. Bruce, Azita Gandjei, and John Miller
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The book which will teach you from a to Z
Throughout many books available for PowerBuilder today this one is more deeply and carefully covers all the details you will need from day to day operations. I've red over dozens of books and I think that this one the only one that is not tells you where to click, but teaches you how to build an application and logical design. I do hope that authors of the book (B. Smith and G. Schaad) will issue a newer version that will cover features implemented with PB 6.x and PB 7

Exemplary treatment of a difficult subject
This is by far the easiest-to-read and -understand book I have read on PowerBuilder. It is very well edited also, with no grammatical or spelling errors that I could discern. This is a far better book on PowerBuilder than I have read by any other author. Bravo!


Inside the Minds: Internet Lawyers - The Most Up to Date Handbook of Important Answers to Issues Facing Every Entrepreneur, Lawyer, and Anyone with a Web Site
Published in Paperback by Aspatore Books (2001)
Authors: Aspatore Books Staff, InsideTheMinds.com, James Hutchinson, Mark Fischer, Arnold Levine, Carl Cohen, Brian Vandenberg, Harrison Smith, Mark Gruhin, and Gordon Caplan
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Mark Gruhin Chapter Fantastic!
This is an excellent book with an extremely insightful and fascinating chapter written by Mark I. Gruhin. He is a very skilled writer and lawyer, and I look forward to his future writings.

Great Book-Very Interesting....
Being a lawyer in NYC, I was very impressed with some Inside the Minds: Interne Lawyers. Although it is impossible to cover every Internet related topic, the book does a good job at covering some very interesting topics. In addition, the individuals portrayed in the book represent a good cross sampling of different talents related to Internet law. I particularly enjoyed the interview with Mark Fischer at Palmer & Dodge. If you are a woman, make sure to also check out Inside the Minds: Leading Women.


Las Vegas Access (Access Guides)
Published in Paperback by Access Pr (1997)
Authors: John L. Smith, Deke Castleman, Patricia Smith, Access Press, and Richard Saul Wurman
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Las Vegas Access
The Access series are very good and the Las Vegas book is a favorite of mine. When ever I go for business or pleasure, I take the current Access along. I have found that with the multitude of changes the earlier editions help to remind me of Casinos and attractions that are no more. As Vegas continues to develope at an extraordinary pace, I find I look forward to the new release more and more.

Exemplary guide book in a soft cover.
Access Las Vegas brings a colorful guide to the subject of the city of light, Las Vegas. With reviews of Hotels and Casinos with resturant ratings as well as a nod to the arts and sciences (Museums), this is one book I will not leave behind when visiting Nevada's most famous city.

Ther are maps that section the city into easy to cover areas and color coding to help distinguish the variety of critiqued locations. Backround and history with many best fo lists by the knowledgable and famous citizens give excellent insights to getting around and geating the most from your visit. Concise examination of the many casino games help the novice may their way through a bewildering array of choices.

All in all perhaps the best book for the money of it's kind. The access line of books are all quite good.


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