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Series Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Series
The Comedy of Errors (Arden Shakespeare: Second Series)
Published in Paperback by Arden (1968-07-01)
Author: William Shakespeare
List price: $14.99
New price: $8.99
Used price: $3.72

Average review score:

Shakespeare pocket size editions
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-19
I bought about ten of these because they are so easy to carry around and are printed with easy to read type and sell at a very good price. I have many other editions of Shakespeare's plays but these are perfect for what I wanted. I have lots of other editions with introductions, evaluations, etc. and I don't really need that in my bag. These editions are a great way to read the plays without carrying around five pounds of book!

accessible
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-21
this is shakespeare's most accessible comedy. it's a farce about mistaken identities among identical twins. nothing complicated here. the play has it's funny moments. it's not the bard's best comedy; that's 'much ado about nothing', imho. but this is not a bad place to start.

Gem Among The Early Comedies!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-18
Shakespeare's vision grew tremendously over the course of his writing career. However, this play demonstrates that his uncanny power as an artist grew quickly and was present in some form from the very begining. It is exceedingly hard to buy the common notion that this was his first comedy when it is so much better than "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" in nearly every way. The dialogue is fast paced and screamingly funny. The characters interesting if broad and there are some surprising touches that, aside from being interesting in and of themselves, point down the road to later, darker comedies. Chief among these is the amazing opening, perhaps still unequaled in all comedy for the level of grimness. These are the first words uttered in a play long seen as a kind of sitcom of Shakespeare's plays: "Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall, and by the doom of death end woes and all." The speaker is Egeon, a merchant about to be put to death for simply coming from the wrong country. The whole first scene feels like a cloud is hanging over it and there is a sense of fear-infused urgency that catches the mind off guard and makes the joyous, lunatic story all the more welcome while at the same time coloring it with real drama, making it all the more exciting. To be sure, there is little real depth and much of the play is like a sitcom but only the best of sitcoms and perhaps "Monty Python" at their most absurd is a better comparison. The plot is well chosen (from the Roman comic dramatist Plautus) and well handled. For some reason the play is not well known even among the early comedies which is a shame. It is probably the best of them, even surpassing the wonderful "The Taming of the Shrew". Aside from being an easy read, keep in mind the play is good to perform as it holds up well and doesn't suffer from being tinkered with. I've seen one production that was mostly straightforward but did a few weird things that worked like magic. They would've sunk almost any other Shakespeare comedy. I must also mention the last moment between the two clowns. It is as heart-warming and humane as it is funny. The master is already present AND growing. Do yourself a favor and pick up this play, you'll laugh your head off!

"Dromio, oh Dromio. Wherefore art thou, Dromio?"
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-27
I recently re-read THE COMEDY OF ERRORS prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of this farce-like play under the summer stars here in Boulder. Based on Menaechmi by Plautus, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) produced this romantic comedy between the years 1592-93 and published it in the First Folio in 1623. While on its surface this early play may seem superficial and frivolous when measured against KING LEAR or HAMLET, it is not without its own unique depths. It also shows that the Bard had a sense of humor. It tells the hilarious story of two, identical twin brothers (Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus) and their identical twin servants (both named Dromio), all of whom were separated at sea during their infancy until redisdovering each other through a series of madcap mix-ups, mayhem, and mistaken identities in the apparently insane town of Epheseus. Meanwhile, Egeon (the father of the Antipholus twins), has been granted a day to raise local ransom for illegally entering Ephesus. In that day, the separated twins are reunited, Antipholus of Ephesus pays his father's ransom, and Egeon discovers his long-lost wife (Aemilia) living in the local priory. In the end, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS is as much about the power of family as the search for completing oneself. It is a play that reminds me that it is perhaps better to re-read and understand Shakespeare than to devour one bestseller after the next.

G. Merritt

A great place to start reading Shakespeare - just read more!
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-24
One of the problems that great artists present to us is where to begin in getting to know their works. Their masterworks are often so full of what they have spent a lifetime developing that most of it is lost on those who have not yet put in a significant amount of effort becoming familiar with that artist's style and means of expression. Yet, if one begins with their apprentice works one may become discouraged because they lack the miracles of the masterworks. So, where does one begin?

Shakespeare offers the reader an additional challenge of an English that is removed in style and idiom from us by 400 years. It is not an insurmountable challenge. In fact, it is quite easy to overcome with a bit of time reading it and getting into the flow. It just seems strange in the beginning, but it really does become easy to read once you spend some time with it. However, getting over that small hill has kept many from enjoying the glories of Shakespeare.

This play, "The Comedy of Errors", is clearly an early work. It has many virtues, but despite them it does not offer much of what we really value in Shakespeare. It is a very fine play and is constructed very well. It is a wonderful first work to read of Shakespeare because it is short and has a very simple plot. The new reader does not have to spend much effort contemplating characters or the immense subtlety of language of the great works. Its charms are direct and what it has to offer is pretty much on the surface of the words.

The plot is, like all farces, ridiculous. It involves twin brothers who are served by twin slaves. They are separated early in life and when the play opens one set does not know the other exists. One set (the Antipholus and Dromio from Syracuse) visits Ephesus where the other set (the Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus) lives. The play involves people confusing the two sets to the bewilderment of those suffering from the confusion. It really is quite funny. Of course, eventually, all is resolved to everyone's delight.

This edition, like all of the individual editions Arden offers of these plays, has a wonderful opening essay that offers a great deal of background on the play including a discussion of its performance history, sources, and discussion of the play itself. The appendices in the back offer excerpts from the sources and some brief information on the Gray's Inn performance of 1594.

If you desire to study Shakespeare and are willing to spend time reading many of his plays, "The Comedy of Errors" is a good work to start with just to ease into the language and get a feel for some of the conventions of Elizabethan theater. Just don't stop here. Shakespeare has so much more to offer that you owe it to yourself to continue your exploration of this supreme artist.

Series
Corporate Finance: A Valuation Approach
Published in Hardcover by McGraw-Hill/Irwin (1996-08-01)
Authors: Simon Z. Benninga and Oded H Sarig
List price:
New price: $77.39
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Average review score:

Fantastic book
Helpful Votes: 20 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-22
This book serves as an excellent introduction to and/or refresher on valuation techniques. The entire valuation process (primarily DCF) is broken down into a series of steps, each of which gets its own complete chapter. Each chapter is well written and builds on its predecessors.

A particular strength of the book is the authors' reference to Excel functions and which ones are useful in valuation models. This book is not just theory; there are concrete "how to" examples throughout. Once you've finished this book, you can do more than cite valuation theory: you can build valuation models.

One of the best finance books I've ever read.

An excellent valuation book that should be well known by a wider audience
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-08
Simon Benninga's and Oded Sarig's "Corporate Finance: A Valuation Approach" (CFaVA) is one of those secret texts that true insiders cherish while other less efficient or significant works capture limelight.

"CFaVA" is comparable to the McKinsey group authors Koller, Goedhart, Wessels's "Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies" and also Aswath Damodaran's "Investment Valuation: Tools and Techniques for Determining the Value of Any Asset" [Full disclosure: I've taught graduate Corporate Valuation with both texts].

Benninga and Sarig's work is excellent because it is lean while not oversimplified. The key chapter of estimating discount rates is the finest one-chapter treatment of the subject I've seen in my career, and should be required reading for any M&A or LBO banker or PE associate. The chapter on valuing by multiples is also useful for relative value and comparative scenarios for deal-makers.

Chapter 12 covers convertible securities, and it would be unfair to say it is bad simply because it is compressed and incomplete (entire libraries have been written on the subject of convertible bond valuation), but also appears out of place in the content of the book until you realize that the random elements of a stock price going forward in time intersect with capital structure choices and enterprise value, so the connection and recursive element of valuation is made at once explicit with an example.

An excellent book that should be well known by a wider audience.

A Solid Introductory Valuation Text
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-18
This book does a good job of logically explaining the step-by-step method of corporate valuation. Benninga and Sarig do a good job of focusing on the practical tools of finance. I only wish the DCF examples were less simplistic. A substantial amount of additional work is needed to apply these models to real world firms.

Ground Up Valuation Techniques
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-18
If you are new to corporate finance valuation this book will take you to the next level. Provides step by step instruction on how to value companies. Covers Excel techniques with easy to follow examples. Covers 1 full semester at most business schools.

An ideal introduction to company valuation
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-21
This book offers a very simple introduction to evaluation of companies prior to investing. The DCF method is primarily used. There is a common thread running through the chapters which makes the book easy to understand. Its not verbose, which adds to its attractiveness. But, the readers should remember that this is only an introduction, and some other advanced book like Copeland's is needed to build upon the ideas presented in the book.

Series
Courage to Run: A Story Based on the Life of Harriet Tubman (Daughters of the Faith Series)
Published in Paperback by Moody Publishers (2002-04-01)
Author: Wendy Lawton
List price: $6.99
New price: $1.50
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Courage to Run
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-07
This was an excellent book. I found it most fascinating about Harriet Tubman. She was truly a great woman, far above her age and time. Great reading for anyone who is learning more about the underground railroad!!

Harriet Tubman from a different perspective
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-29
I don't remember seeing or reading a book on Harriet Tubman as a child. Wendy Lawton's account of Harriet Tubman's childhood life was very realistic to me. I could visualize the deplorable conditions of the slave quarters as well as the less than nice slave owners. The book is easy reading and peeked my interest right from the start. Well worth the reading.

Unforgettable
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-01
Lawton does an outstanding job of putting the reader right in the "Quarter" house for slaves on a plantation in Maryland with the young Harriet Tubman, her family and close friends.

The reader anguishes with Harriet every time her master whips her. We pull for her to return to her family every time she is "hired out" to other slave owners. We rejoice with her when God answers her simple yet profound prayers. And we are challenged when a young girl asks God for the courage it takes to run for freedom.

I knew very little about Harriet Tubman before reading Lawton's book. Now I'll never forget her.

More than another childrens book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-16
This is a wonderful piece of children's prose, by dynamic author and sculptor Wendy Lawton. As a teacher, it would be advantageous to include this as supplementary reading for your students, but also as an avid bibliophile, it is a great read like for everyone. Lawton has captured the reader in an engrossing and mesmerizing tale. Well written, superbly detailed, factual without being compromising, engaging to the child yet still approachable, this work truly is paramount. I cannot express in words just how much children can learn and will be edified by this book. It sparks lively class discussion, piques childrens curiosity and is a great introduction to adolescent literature. I compare this prose to Anne of Green Gables and also Little Women. I highly recommend it without reservation for all! Destined to be a classic! Great work Wendy Lawton!

A real page turner! Exceptional writing.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-28
This is a very engrossing book and one I could not put down until I finished it.

I normally do not like to read any book written in dialect. In fact, I will quite often go out of my way NOT to read them. I find they tend to slow down the read for me because I mentally try to sound out the dialect as I read. Very distracting.

But Wendy has done a superb job with Minty, and she managed to pull me in right at the start.

I think Harriet Tubman has been an inspiration to nearly everyone, regardless of race, because of her courageous actions once she decided "this is what I have to do!" and I am no exception. To see her story through the eyes of her youth is very enlightening...and heart-breaking.

Well written and well researched. A great read.

Series
Crystal Clear: A Human-Powered Methodology for Small Teams (The Agile Software Development Series)
Published in Paperback by Addison-Wesley Professional (2004-10-29)
Author: Alistair Cockburn
List price: $39.99
New price: $23.00
Used price: $16.00

Average review score:

Yet another tool in the Agile toolbox!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-30
The "Agile" umbrella includes multiple approaches/lenses from which to view, practice and evolve software and teams. Alistair's material offers an additional lens. So when reading this material, I don't believe it was ever his intent for people to pick up Crystal and say "This is it". Rather, this material offers an alternative framework of thought that would nicely meld/synthesize with other characteristics/practices/behaviors under the Agile umbrella of software evolution. I've not personally applied the material yet .. but could see it's inter-relationship to those things I do currently practice today under the Agile space.

Great book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-05
I love this book. Recommended read for anyone who has to obtain requirements form customers. The book also has many team building elements and a great Agile roadmap.

Excellent Writing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-06
Cockburn's writing style is fluid, the agile development topic is interesting, and his experience is very valuable.

Just starting out with "agile"? Try Crystal before XP.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-10
The Crystal methodology is extremely lightweight, and is not saddled with the percieved "rules" of XP. This is *the* guidebook for the Crystal familiy. Pick a few of the 7 properties and get started building better software!

Informative
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-02
Lots of relevent information about Software Development project management. It give insight into ways of dealing with stuff I see every day at work. I am about 1/3 of they way through, it is well laid out, I'd recommend it for anyone that is a technology development group and want some good ideas for how to deal with projects.

Series
Daddy Loves His Girls: Sequel to Woman Thou Art Loosed! (Life Topics Bible Study Series)
Published in Paperback by David C. Cook Distribution (1999-02)
Author: T. D. Jakes
List price: $24.99
New price: $7.00
Used price: $2.50
Collectible price: $24.99

Average review score:

Loved this book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-10
I had this on my list of books to read for years now and I finally had the opportunity to read and finish this book. It is such a great read! This book reiterated my importance as a daughter of God and no matter how bad I have been hurt in the past, my future can and will be brighter! Thank You TD Jakes for writing this book!

great
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-24
This book helped me to realized that eventhough I didn't have a earthly father in the household that my Father in Heaven will teach me and validate me as a father should have done for me. It help me to realize that I shouldn't be upset about my earthly father not being there and that God has provided all I need here on earth.

Much Needed Spiritual Food!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-30
As always T.D. Jakes delivers a powerful and blessed message. In "Daddy Loves His Girls", he speaks to the mind, heart, soul and spirit of women from all walks of life. If you are a woman or father of a daughter...THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ! As you read each page, you will grow a little more. By the end of this book you have a perscription for WHOLENESS in life.

T.D. Jakes also provides examples from his own family life, which gives the reader an up close and personal feeling. Some readers need those applicable real life situations in order to interpret the message to the fullest. For those who could do without the life's application...he has also provided Bible Scripture Quotations. I highly recommend this spiritual food...it will be a blessing.

ABBA DADDY...
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-16
A Very Gifted and much needed Book for many of us women today.

In it you will read about how much Our Heavenly Father Loves His Girls and gives you great insight in how to demonstrate that same precious Love to your children.

This book has away of singing to the most deepest injured parts of your heart and just seems to melt away all those pains through the power of Love Our Heavenly Daddy Has for His Girls

Powerful anointing in healing for the Body, Soul and Spirit :)

Praise God
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-12
I am in the process of developing a deep, personal, spiritual relationship with God and have read many books on the subject of God's purpose of the woman and I have been praising God since for giving me guidance and direction through people like Brother T.D. Jakes.

I have found solace, love and comfort in this book that is real and true. Love that will not disappoint and that type of love can only come from the Father. However you serve the Being greater than yourself, you will be able to relate to what Brother Jakes shares in this book!

Series
Dandelion Cottage (Dandelion Series / Carroll Watson Rankin)
Published in Hardcover by Marquette County Historical Society, Incorpor (1977-06)
Author: Carroll W. Rankin
List price: $8.95
New price: $15.00
Used price: $15.00

Average review score:

What a gem!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-15
Found this book by talking through our favorite childhood reading adventures with my best friend. She recommended "Dandelion Cottage" and remarkably our library had it. I was charmed from the moment I stepped into it. What a wonderful writer, fabulous characters and simple hometown Michigan charm. Makes a homesick grown woman feel more like dusting than any Martha Stewart article ever could! I can't believe that somehow as a child I missed this series. I'm not setting about purchasing it so that along with Anne of Green Gables and Alcott's female heroines, this book can be in our family library and inspire my daughters like it has inspired me.

A Piece of My Family
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-20
Reading Dandelion Cottage is like looking at my great-great grandmother and actually knowing her. My grandmother's family was from Marquette and then later relocated to Georgia. As I was growing up I was always told about The Dandelion Cottage and however fictionalized, the characters were modeled after my great-great grandmother and her friends. It's wonderful to know that through the reprint, that the book won't go lost.

Childhood Favorite
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-09
This is one of my all time favorite childhood books! I was surprised to learn recently that there is an actual Dandelion Cottage still standing in Marquette, MI. The author of the book lived in Marguette. FYI, you can purchase a copy of the book through the Marquette County History Museum for $13.95 plus $4.00 shipping and handling. Check out their website at www.marwquettecohistory.org for details and more information about the book.

Wonderful character book for young people
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-14
The book, "Dandelion Cottage", was read to each of our family members by our fifth grade teacher (she taught all 5 of us kids at a wonderful grade school in the 1940's, 50's and early 60's). She set aside time during the week to read aloud some portion of this exciting, strong character book to us. I can remember so well the time spent sitting in that classroom and listening to her read to us. This is a book that all young people should have the opporunity to read and enjoy.

A fond childhood memory
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-18
I read Dandelion Cottage when I was about 10 yrs old and absolutely loved it. I'm delighted to see that it is still in print and now will give my granddaughter a copy for her birthday.
Dandelion Cottage still stands today and was based on a story of some little girls who actually used the house as their play house. It's a delightful story that takes one back in time. These charming little girls will touch your heart.

Series
Designer Knockoff: A Crime of Fashion (Crime of Fashion Mystery)
Published in Paperback by Signet (2004-08-03)
Author: Ellen Byerrum
List price: $6.99
New price: $2.25
Used price: $0.80

Average review score:

I am hooked!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-19
Lacy Smithsonian is on a roll. I can't put the book down. I continue to look forward to finding out who the villain is in these stories. I am pleased these books are not predictable and they keep you guessing. Ellen Byerrum has a great writing style that is relatable to many different types of women.

well written and entertaining
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-15
I debated between 4 and 5 stars, but really, I can't think of anything to complain about in "Designer Knockoff", so 5 stars it is. Lacey Smithsonian is an appealing heroine and the supporting characters are interesting and nicely developed (though characters introduced in the first book in the series don't get a re-hash, so it may not feel as if they are developed if you didn't read book one). The plot is good, not too unbelievable, and Lacey's world comes across as real and appealing with humor generously sprinkled in. The writing is good, no weak editing that could throw the reader off stride. Lacey seems like a happy, well-adjusted woman, not overly neurotic and she doesn't do things that you have to suspend disbelief to accept as a natural part of her life and the story. Highly recommended for an entertaining read.

Fun.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-30

The story is pretty well written, the characters are intelligent and sassy.

This is a fun light read. Definitly worth a few hours of your time if you like light mysteries.

More then clothes were being knocked off. . .
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-05
I really enjoyed the first book, and found the second book, "Designer Knockoff" to be a great follow up.

The plot this time revolves around Hugh "the Bastard" Bentley, America's premiere fashion designer who is pushing for a Fashion Museum with some funding from Congress. Throw in an ambitious, missing Congressional Intern with dreams of being the next "Bentley Girl" model and you have an intriguing mystery with contemporary overtones.

Added to the mix is a "Bentley" original from Lacey's Aunt Mimi's trunk, which also yields dress patterns and designs from Aunt Mimi's friend, Gloria, who worked for Bentley during WWII, but disappeared suddenly and mysteriously. Lacey becomes curious about her Aunt Mimi's relationship with Hugh Bentley, especially why her Aunt started calling him, Hugh "the Bastard" Bentley.

While pursuing a story about a robbery at one of the Bentley stores to help Stella's friend, Miguel, Lacey's starts finding clues to the missing Intern and begins to uncover the Bentley family's dirty little secrets.

The mystery ends with Lacey showing up in one of Gloria's designs at the ball for the Bentley Fashion museum, where in a dramatic showdown she learns who really designed the first Bentley couture line. Lacey having caught the Interns killer, uncovers what happen to Aunt Mimi's friend Gloria, with the help of Bentley's nephew.

This novel introduces another man to compete for Lacey's affection, Jeffrey Bentley Holmes, Hugh Bentley's nephew. An interesting man, who is coming to grips with being a member of a powerful family that has no conscious, while he has a strong one. Tony, Lacey's co-worker, hovers pleasently in the background as another potential suitor. Vic Donovan still dominates the scene with Lacey, despite not being the most considerate of males.

Another enjoyable aspect of the series is the further development of the supporting characters. It is Stella who introduces Lacey to Miguel. Lacey's friend and conspiracy theory junkie, Brooke, finds romance with Damon, who runs the DeadFed website. Damon introduces Lacey to TurtleDove, a security agent. Turtledove helps move precious Aunt Mimi's trunk out of her apartment, when Lacey realizes someone will kill to get to the letters and patterns from Gloria it contains.

Justice is not served in the end, since the Bentley's are rich and powerful enough to prevent that, which unfortunately is a reality in most real life cases involving people in their position.

Another great and enjoyable read. This is a fun series.

Another Great Mystery
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-23
This was another Crime of Fashion Mystery, and was just as satisfying as the first installment. The writing is witty and fun, the character of Lacey Smithsonian is well-drawn, and the supporting cast of characters adds a lot to the book. The mystery/death is linked to Lacey's past as well, and I found that historical element - particualrly about 40s fashions - made the book even more enjoyable. Looking forward to the next book...

Series
Devil-May-Care (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)
Published in Hardcover by G. K. Hall & Company (1990-07)
Author: Elizabeth Peters
List price: $19.95
Used price: $11.95

Average review score:

ehh.. it was all right
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-11
Fun, nice dialog, nice characters. The story's conclusion just didn't carry much punch for me.

A must read!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-30
I found this book to be funny and fast paced. The characters were warm and witty. I absolutely loved Aunt Kate! There is one woman you don't want to mess with:) The whole atmosphere of the book held me spellbound. I finished the book in 1 day. If you have the time it's a worthy read.

A must read!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-30
I found this book to be funny and fast paced. The characters were warm and witty. I absolutely loved Aunt Kate! There is one woman you don't want to mess with:) The whole atmosphere of the book held me spellbound. I finished the book in 1 day. If you have the time it's a worthy read.

Atmostpheric and Fun
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-14
I've read this book several times. I love coming back to it after a couple of years and enjoying it all over again. The best thing about Elizabeth Peters/B Michaels is that she creates a cozy atmostphere, with every day occurences (such as eating lunch...sleeping...,) yet, there are not so every day occurences thrown in - ghosts, etc. It makes it feel like is business as usual to suspect that a ghost is inhabiting your house. I just love the atmostphere she creates! She doesn't write these types of books anymore, - not a dynasty - like Amelia (love those too, of course), but these single book stories, and I miss them!

Very Good
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-07
Ellie has agreed to house sit for her Aunt Kate. Her pompous fiance drives her down to impress the rich old lady, who dislikes him immediately. After Kate's departure with the fiance to the airport. Ellie experiences all kinds of strange manifestations involving the six founding families of the area. A rare book telling of their boring scandals seems to be the trigger. A neighbor agrees to help her solve the mystery. It seems like a practical joke, until an old friend of Kate's gets seriously injured....

This was a very quick read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I picked it up and didn't stop reading until the last page. The characters are quirky and entertaining. The atmosphere appropriately creepy, and the story line engrossing. A very good read.

Series
Diary of a Mad Poker Player: A Journey to the World Series of Poker
Published in Paperback by Russell Enterprises (2005-03-10)
Author: Richard Sparks
List price: $14.95
New price: $3.99
Used price: $0.05
Collectible price: $14.95

Average review score:

A Witty, Insightful Romp Through the Landscape of Contemporary Poker
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-06
Richard Sparks' "Diary of a Mad Poker Player" is a wonderful read. It reaches out to the reader on so many levels.

It's the quest of a dedicated amateur poker player to win his way in to the World Series of Poker through a combination of online satellite tournaments and satellites held in brick and mortar casinos. Richard Sparks is an extremely witty man and a great teller of tales, and along the way he interviews everyone from legends of the game such as Doyle Brunson, Chris Moneymaker, and Sammy Farha, to unknown players who are hoping for glory after winning their way into the World Series of Poker through an online satellite.

I'm not sure there's another writer out there who could combine his quest for winning a seat in poker's richest event with the make and model number banjo played by Earl Scruggs, classic Monte Python sketches, and a few quotes that William Shakespeare might have authored, had the bard been born a few centuries later, instead of in his own, unfortunate time, before poker was invented. Not only does he combine all this irreverence, but somehow it works in masterstrokes of wit and wordsmithing.

Sparks also tells the story of how online poker came to prominence and how it led to the incredible growth in tournament poker in general and the World Series of Poker in particular. After all, at the turn of the century, the World Series of Poker was happy to have slightly more than 300 entrants pony up $10,000 each to play in its main event. In 2006, nearly 8,000 played, a number no one would have dared to imagine just a few short years ago.

He delves deeply into the legal status of online poker, as well as its safety. So just while you're having fun with Sparks' madcap romp through poker's highly textured landscape, you find yourself on a knowledgeable ride through the underpinnings of contemporary poker.

There's even some good poker advice tucked into its pages. Though it's not an instructional book by any means, the advice that bubbles up to the surface is sound and solid.

There's actually nothing about "Diary of a Mad Poker Player" not to like. It's authoritative, informative, insightful, wildly funny, incredibly witty, and a book you can go back to time and again. If Richard Sparks represents everyman in his quest to play at the WSOP, this is everyman at his best, and funniest. I highly recommend it.

Laughing Without Losing
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-30
"Diary" is terrific for learning the inside game of poker and laughing. There are very entertaining characters behind those reflector glasses and grain feed caps. I discovered important plays and strategies while enjoying the author's Monty Python-esque humor. Finally, my knowledge of "tells" has exceeded waiting for a gasp, heave or howl. I don't think amateurs or experts will be disappointed.

Memoirs of an average player.
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-16
This is a sad poker book. (I have not read the Stu Ungar bio which must be even more poignant.) He gives a lot of the gritty details of his poker play. Don't get me wrong: the tone isn't sad, but the game play is.

In fact, he admits he never does very well at the tables, and I can't tell if that's due to bad beats or his own bad play.

Instead, try the Moneymaker book which at least has an upbeat poker ending or Aces and Kings, about several well-known players.

Or read Positively Fifth Street by James McManus about his adventures in the WSOP Main Event. It's not just upbeat; you can tell he understands the game.

P.S. Sparks has a new book out, Getting Lucky: the Education of a Mad Poker Player. In it, the author admits his game needed help when wrote this book. (As he was coached by Tom McEvoy before he wrote his new book, I'm sure his game has become much better!) For those who think I was too harsh with Mr. Sparks, I did buy his new book.

excellent
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-12
Great book! Sparks uses each chapter to capture different aspects of poker today. The book is very fast moving and hard to put down. I would definately recc it to anyone interested in either big time or online poker today.

Truly Unique.
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-01
This is an extremely novel book as it is a first hand account of a journalist's obsession with poker and of his online attempts to procure a seat for the 2004 World Series. The narrator, Richard Sparks, spends the first half of the diary talking about the game in general and providing us with accounts of his own efforts to gain a seat. Sparks is a good writer and possesses a creative mind. One would never describe him as boring. Overall, it's an average+ book, although it could have been a better. Sparks pastes in too many conversations from online poker chat boxes, and does not devote enough pages to the 2004 WSOP event itself. There is, however, one section in which Diary transcends, and that is where we are made privy to the transcript of the interview he had with Sammy Farha. It's absolutely excellent. We learn more about the man in those few short pages than we do over the course of all his ESPN human interest moments. There are other titles to buy ahead of this one, but it's still enjoyable.

Series
Dining Tables: Outstanding Projects from America's Best Craftsmen
Published in Paperback by Taunton (2002-03-12)
Authors: Kim Carleton Graves and Masha Zager
List price: $24.95
New price: $15.16
Used price: $15.45

Average review score:

A true tutorial from the best in the business
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-16
Anyone interested in making any kind of a table should get this book. This book covers it all. There are so many things you think you know but are not aware of. This book shows how to design and make tables with ease. I read it and went on to make a table. This is a must for every woodworker.

A Compliment to any Woodworker's Library
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-25
I bought this book to learn about dining table construction.
The instructions are clear and concise and includes ALL the steps required to make 9 tables.
Kim Carleton Graves is obviously a very good teacher and it really comes across in this book.
I found this book a great learning aid and I'm sure I will refer to it time and time again.
Please publish a book on chairs.

Just what you need if your going to build a dining table
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-04
Dining room tables are different in complexity than smaller tables, so its apropos that Taunton chose to put these tables in a separate book from their Tables book. I have both, and have built projects out of both. The Dining Table book deals has a nice layout and design section in the beginning where it describes the minimum and ideal dimensions for tables built for certain numbers of people.

The book contains a nice selections of projects, including a trestle table (pictured on the front cover), a shaker style kitchen table (which I built), various expandable tables, and a boat table constructed using a torsion box.

I would also recommend reading the Tables book by Taunton, as it has a dining room table designed by Frank Klausz which is awesome.

Great Book , Great Authors
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-29
Taunton puts out great books with great authors, this book is no different. Great layout and information.
I can't add much to what was already stated in the earlier reviews except that Kim Carleton Graves was easy to contact through email. He responded quickly, professionally and was very informative.
In summary, buy the book you wont be disappointed.

Everything I Expected, and More!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-14
I bought this book looking for a design I could use for a dining room table. What I found was not only a design that I loved, but clear step-by-step instructions, drawings, and great photographs. The section on table building basics which covers table size and clearance, wood movement, and torsion box construction was extremely informative.


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