K Books

A book is a book, and appeals to individuals based on their preferences. I happen to enjoy the humor of Patrick McManus. The real reason for the review, however, is to acknowledge the seller, who was very curteous and quick to ship. If the opportunity presents itself again, I shall certainly look to do business with them.

I have been a closet Pat McManus fan since the 80's. His short stories always make me laugh out loud, no matter what mood that I am in before I start reading them. These stories are for everyone. You don't even have to fish or hunt and you'll still get it. Anyone who has ever spent any time outdoors will be able to relate to his adventures.

The names of the stories in this book are:
Sequences
The Dumbest Antelope
Out of Sync
Kid Brothers and Their Practical Application
The Fried Flies, Please, and Easy on the Garlic
At Loose Ends
Getting It in the Ear
Garage-Sale Hype
How to get Started in Bass Fishing
As the Worm Squirms
Scoring
A Road Less Traveled By
Gunkholing
Blips
The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw
Water Spirits
Letter to the Boss
Scritch's Creek
The Tin Horn
Cupidity, Draw Thy Bow
Whitewater Fever
Never Cry "Arp!"
Visions of Fish and Game
A Brief History of Boats and Marriage
Boating Disorders
Try Not to Annoy Me

First let me say I found the Patrick McManus stories funny each month as I got that magazine. Maybe it was Outdoor Life,,,,,
Then I read there that I could get books full of his stories.
WOW, I bought all of them.
I must say though that I like this one best.

BTW, If you ever read a story by Pat about being lost in the woods by all means believe him. I am way up here in NW lower Michigan.
A man I know who is a regular fisherman was fishing a local river. He was away from any road when he happened to find a man that had been fishing, but was asking how to get out of there back to a road. After he had told the guy to just follow the river that way for about two more miles the guy introduced himself,,, Guess who? Patrick McManus of course. 8>))

Now, I'm actually from Idaho where this book is actually based off of. Despite all of the Sarcasm, you got Idaho. HAHA LOL. I know this is bad but I hate to read. I had to read this book for an english assignment. But I really like this book. It is non-stop laughter. I think I am going to read all of his books now. I hope that is enough for you to be convinced that this book really is good and should be read by anyone who loves humorous books. HAPPY READING! :)

This book is hilarious. We like to read it to the middle and high school kids. You can hear them laughing about the fur coat, etc. outside the building. It has sparked many a boy into getting Partick's other books and reading for themselves. As a library director I know how hard it is to get middle and high school kids to read for pleasure. Patrick McManus is sure a pleasure. When I read the Goombaw story, and I have numerous times I still can not get through it without tears running down my face.

Worldly-wise yet innocent 11-year-old girl works with her con-artist "father" during the Depression. This is a classic in the long tradition of American fiction. The author masterfully creates an authentic voice that bowls the reader over. The story verges on the sappy at times, and the "con man with a heart of gold" conceit is rubbed a bit thin by the end of the book. The author also trucks out certain phrases a few too many times. But overall it's a great story filled with vividly memorable characters.

A real gem of a satiric American novel.

If you've only seen the bittersweet comedy film Paper Moon, you're in for a treat. The novel, formerly known as Addie Pray (the "moon incident," incidentally, which gives the film its name, is NOT in the book), is about a streetwise eleven-year-old Southern girl who travels around with Moses "Long Boy" Pray, a con artist who may be her father (her "mama being fast and all"). It is Depression-era Alabama, and the two make their living selling embossed Bibles and dropping wallets and running other cons to make their living. Only once are they distracted, by a sweet-talking hoochie-coochie dancer who has Long Boy on his toes until Addie "takes care of her man." Their written adventures continue past the movie as they go into partnership with a larcenous Colonel and plan to bamboozle a rich old lady out of her fortune (with the help of the woman's mercenary nephew). But as in the rest of the book, there's a twist to this, too. Paper Moon contains rich characters and settings, and memorable events. Highly recommended.

Paper Moon is a comical, enticing, interesting, and beautifully written novel about a young girl, Addie Pray, and her father, Long Boy. That's not really his name of course, but that's what everybody calls him. Addie's mother had died when she was six and so Long Boy takes her with him to do business deals. Doing business just suits the pair, Addie gets so excited, she gets the chills. At first they have a simple strategy of selling bibles to people who have just lost some one. They go around from town to town selling bibles and pictures from or of loved ones. Their rouitine always started with Addie acting way more pathetic and younger than she really was. Long Boy's infallible ways make Addie adore and look up to him. As she gets older, she teaches tricks to Long Boy that just barely save their lives a few times. When the team decides to pick up a business deal with a millionaire, Addie has to change identities in a tedious plot to keep a crabby woman's financial amounts from her fortune-hungry nephew. Throughout the book, Addie's character transcends to a much higher level and her clever mind pulls you in. This book is written by Joe David Brown and is written in first person. I like books that are written in first person just because I feel like I can put myself in the person's shoes and really get a hold of what is happening.
I loved this book because it was intriguing and the author created such great characters that even though they are cheating people of their money, your heart travels to their side. I also picked up this book because they made a movie of it awhile back and I like to compare books to their movies. I always read the books first thought. This story is like a roller coaster with a fast pass, you don't have to wait in line for the ride. You get hooked on the first page, which I know is a feature for people who get bored easily. The dialogue that is used is old fashioned and not contemporary, more slang. It is kind of hard to follow but you get used to it, it is actually a big part of the characters overall because it determines the amount of education that person had. I also love this book because there aren't a lot of books written about this exact storyline and subject. It makes it fun to read because its an unknown story and you don't really have andything to compare it to.

This is one of the best books I've had the pleasure to read in a while. I was already familiar with the basic story, having seen the movie "Paper Moon" (which I recommend highly!). When I started reading this, I was uncertain whether I'd be able to adjust to the change in location and dialect from the movie; the movie was set in the Midwest, the book in the Southeast. My doubts were quickly put to rest just pages into the book, when I became completely engrossed in the story and Brown's easy-going writing style. I plowed through the book in a couple days and enjoyed it thoroughly!

The book follows Addie Pray, a young orphan, as she travels around Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana with Long Boy, a con artist who may or may not be her father. During their travels, the two are always devising schemes to weasel money ouf of those who can afford to lose it. First it's the famous Bible-selling trick, but it quickly becomes so much more. There are plenty of deliciously eccentric characters, exciting chases, "heartwarming" moments, and a healthy dose of laughs.

If you liked the movie, don't miss reading the book. The movie plot is drawn only from the first 90-100 pages of the book; the remaining 200 pages present Addie and Mose (a.k.a. Long Boy) in entirely "new" situations. The book is a delight from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

Written in the style (and context) of Steinbeck, this book is excellent.

The remarkable thing about the book, though, is that it is one of the few instances where you should read and see both the book and movie. If you liked the movie, the book provides more stories and adventures; if you liked the book, the movie brings the characters, setting, and geography to life.

The book is very readable; in fact, I read all 300 pages in a day! I highly recommend this book; the movie only makes a very good story better.

I have read all of the Sackett novels and most everything else that L'Amour has written. I would easily list this book as one of my top 3 favorites by the author. It's a different path for L'Amour, writing 1st person as a 16 year old girl. That being said, he was truly a gifted storyteller and this is one good book. I would highly recommend it, not only for young girls to read, but for anyone else who's looking for for a good story on the American West.

On a side note, I think this would be a great opportunity for a made for TV movie.

Very well done. We enjoyed listening to it. The narrator did an excellent job of making the story come alive.

This one is, in my opinion, probably the weakest Sackett story so far. I admitt I am new to Louis Lamour (relatively). I have read 9 of his books so far and I enjoy them very much and continue to read more. The Sackett series are a special lot but I was not overly excited about this particular one. It is worth reading, I guess, like any other Louis Lamour, but I would put this one off because there are many more exciting ones than this.
Still a Lamour fan

Louis L'Amour writes like a girl, and when he's telling the story of 16-year-old Echo Sackett, that's an excellent thing to do. Echo leaves her mountain home in 1840 to claim an unexpected inheritance in the City of Philadelphia, and the story is principally about her efforts to outwit and outfight the criminals who want to make sure she doesn't get back to the mountains with what is rightfully hers.

Echo, every inch the lady, has spunk and smarts enough to go with the knife she calls her "Arkansas Toothpick." Being a Sackett, she also has a lively sense of her family history. As in most L'Amour books, the Sackett ethos -- help your kin at any cost -- is on full display here. I also enjoyed the book because it includes a free black man and a gallant city boy, not to mention serious villains. Their adventures, and reactions to them, are true to the time and place of which they're part.

It's also worth noting that the moral code that suffuses this book -- the idea that doing good deeds is like scattering bread on the water -- is L'Amour's version of what author Catherine Ryan Hyde would famously call "Pay it Forward" many years later.

In short, on the river or off of it, Echo Sackett is good company, and not just another pretty face. She reminds me of a family friend who ignored the unspoken navy blue dress code to interview for an elementary school teaching job wearing a lime-green skirt and matching Eisenhower jacket. You'll enjoy this story even if you haven't had the good fortune of knowing a young woman of such character.

Echo Sackett is one of the few women mentioned of the family. She is young, but she is a better shot than her brothers. Echo is also a strong female character who still aspires to be ladylike and not masculized.

But she still knows to "expect Higginses" when she finds she is due an inheritance and travels alone to retrieve it. Fortunately, being a woman is an advantage in a world of men who will underestimate her abilities.

I admire L'Amour for writing such a strong, young female character. Girls may become interested in reading westerns after their introduction to Echo Sackett.

I love it! It is action packed, and full of suspense and comedy! This book is great for kids as well as adults.

I think this book was an adventure it was written very well there are some very breif parts that were dull but over all I really think that you should buy or read this book!Its sequel escape from castle cant was also good.If you are itno to mystery than its for you. If you like adventure or comedys it will more than likely for you.I truely liked this book and think you should read it as soon as possible!!!

If you love adventure and like funny books I don't know why you are sitting here. Get up and go get this book! I love this book because it is so funny.
It is about a bad, bad boy. He finds a key and goes inside Castle Cant. In the castle he finds a door to another world. I recommend this book to 6,7,or8 graders.
-Darien

Orphaned Lucy Wickwright is the long-suffering maidservant and involuntary co-conspirator in the madcap exploits of her mistress Pauline, heiress to the Barony of Cant. However, their relatively carefree childhoods are rapidly nearing an end. Amid ominous rumblings of discontent and even revolution, Lucy finds herself caught up in plots against Pauline and the gum-chewing aristocracy of Cant, and must decide where her loyalties lie.

Intelligent and well-written with an original premise (the premodern barony of Cant, tucked away in the creases of modern maps, which allows for modern incursions such as chewing gum and t-shirts), _The Secret of Castle Cant_ is a very promising first novel. The author's strongest suit, in my opinion, is the fact that he, like the best authors for young readers including J.K. Rowling, obviously respects the intelligence of his readers and doesn't write down to them. His "footnotes" and other references to the "history" of Cant also suggest that this world has not just been casually thrown together but carefully developed in his mind.

Pauline and Lucy develop a wonderful friendship that outweighs their original class differences and, while spoiled, Pauline is portrayed sympathetically and is obviously in the process of changing to a better, less thoughless person by the end of the book. Lucy is fiercely loyal and, while her methods for avoiding trouble without strictly lying may be deplored by some parents, her use of them is certainly realistic (I know I did it), and is unfortunately in common use by many adult public figures these days. My only criticism is that boys close to the heroines' ages seem to be portrayed as either stupid or arrogant, but I hope that can be remedied in the next book.

Altogether an enjoyable book, and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

The Secret of Castle Cant is charming in its use of names, words and anachronism. But most charming of all is its main character Lucy Wickwright. The author has created a Cinderella-esque girl that doesn't depend on a Prince Charming to save the day. She is a practical, no-nonsense maidservant to the heiress to the Barony of Cant, Pauline. Although Pauline's mishaps always end up getting Lucy in trouble, Lucy steadfastly remains loyal.

Then when the questioning of the line of ascension and a rebellion against the royal addiction to chewing gum coincide to throw the whole barony into a tizzy, Lucy manages to keep her head and save the day.

Within the mystery of the secret of Castle Cant, the land itself is a mystery - where does it exist, in what time and in what land are questions never answered. In fact, it's a place where "time stands still" (as the opening describes it.) It further says that The Barony of Cant is a land "lost in the creases of maps." PK Bath shows a clever genius in not giving this piece a set time or place.

Another genius of the author is his naming of characters. I am most impressed with Uncle Hock Tooey. But Luigi Lemonjello is of similar genius as are Gil Blemesch and Blaise Delagaisse.

Finally while I was most impressed with the tools and techniques used to craft this book, I am less impressed with the actual story. While I loved the characters and the land, I had hoped for a different ending. Perhaps something more striking. I will, of course, read the sequel Escape from Castle Cant and see if that satisfies my hope for the outcome.

This book is well-done. I highly recommend it if you like a girl-does-well-by-following-her-heart type story. Also recommended if you like clever conversation among characters. Not recommended for those who prefer straight-arrow stories with pretty princesses in crisp dresses, where this happened and that and they all lived happily ever after.

In Straight, Francis gives us another of his honorable and vulnerable heroes who find themselves in trouble through no fault of their own. True, part of Derek Franklin's problems stems from not getting to know his much older brother, Greville, but the rest of his problems just seem to happen. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is never in one's favor.

Derek is a successful jockey whose ankle is broken in a fall in a race. Just after he learns that his brother has been killed in a freak accident. Now, Greville was a gemologist who tended to be more than a little paranoid. He loved gadgets and puzzles and lives in a house outfitted like a fortress. Unfortunately, the strength of the house does not prevent Derek from being pummeled and otherwise abused nearly to the point of death. The worst thing is that he doesn't know why. This is a story of many mysteries most of which have nothing to do with one another. True to form, though, the villain once identified, proves to have no compunctions about doing whatever it takes to get what he/she wants and for self protection. Or is that villains?

As the story unfolds, the reader finds out as much about the deceased Greville as Derek, his brother and sole heir. (There are two sisters who live abroad.) It's difficult not to care about both and to feel the regret about not getting to know someone before it's too late.

Straight is a typical Francis novel in that it's a fast read, one cares about the protagonist, and pretty much despises the antagonist. Few surprises when it comes to it, but one of Francis's good ones.

I hve been reading Dick Francis books for at least 15 years. My father introduced me to them. When I go on vacation this summer, some of them will accompany me. "Straight" will be one of them.

Greville and Clarissa had concealed their love affair for three years.

Greville was a middleman, who had traveled the world to search out reliable sources of semiprecious gemstones. The successful London company he founded would have the stones cut in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York, or elsewhere, then distribute the gems in quantity to creative designers and producers of fashionable jewelry. Greville also owned racehorses, starting when someone had given him one in settlement of a debt.

Clarissa was the attractive wife of an older British lord, who had pursued her. Greville became Clarissa's first love, as she became his. When he was not on a trip, and she could come to London, they would meet. When apart, which was most days, they had agreed to pause at a set time of day to think of each other, knowing that each was doing the same.

A sudden accident ended all this. Greville had been walking down the High Street next to a construction site, when collapsing scaffolding from high up, struck him, sending him to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness and soon died.

Here are Dick Francis's very first words of the story: "I inherited my brother's life. Inherited his desk, his business, his gadgets, his enemies, his horses and his mistress. I inherited my brother's life, and it nearly killed me."

The speaker is Greville's brother Derek, younger by nineteen years. Too tall for flat racing, Derek is a steeplechase jockey, which is especially dangerous because of the jumping. In the story he is, in fact, on crutches recovering from a broken left ankle injured in a race.

Derek's racing world and Greville's business world collide throughout the book. Derek must pick up the complex gemstone business traces, while undergoing continuing pressure from racing owners and trainers to hurry up and heal.

The company employees tell Derek that Greville did not deal in diamonds. In going to the bank, Derek discovers otherwise. The manager tells him that three months earlier the bank had loaned Greville a million and a half U.S. dollars, specifically to expand into diamonds, and would soon be looking to Derek to start repayment.

Where are the diamonds? Stolen? Who are the customers who wanted them? Greville's company business and his house are broken into. Derek is assaulted and shot at. The action is nonstop. The book is a fascinating, literate page-turner.

Note: Probably all of us readers like to notice where a book's title appears in the text, and to see the meaning in context. I frankly lost count after more than a dozen instances, many of them different -- from Intensive Care Unit monitor lines going flat, to straight thinking versus labyrinthine, to honest test reporting versus shadiness, just to name a few. And a big one near the end of the book, which I wouldn't want to reveal here. Your reading will have to decide which of the many applies most strongly. Or perhaps they all do?

A reader knows what they are getting with a Dick Francis book. The mystery will be well plotted, the hero (usually a jockey or former jockey) will bravely face whatever trials that face him overcoming his troubled past and/or secret sorrow and the action will center around the some part of the racing world. Every once in awhile though a surprise pops up, this time the jockey is thrust into the totally alien world of gems.

Jockey Derek Franklin has been sidelined by a broken ankle, shortly after his brother Grenville is murdered. As Derek tries to settle the estate he finds himself drawn more and more into his brother's world of finance, gems and quirky little gadgets. Gradually he begins to sort out the mysteries surrounding Grenville's life and death but soon discovers that there are others who are determined to keep him from the answers. In the end, of course all is revealed.

This is a well plotted and clever mystery. The clues are all there for the reader to follow. The characters are well written, and draw the reader into the story.

This has to be one of my all time favorite Dick Francis novels. It has everything a mystery should have in it - murder, missing jewels, mayhem... In my opinion, it's going to be difficult for Francis to top this one, but I can't wait while he keeps trying!

Straight takes the reader behind the scenes of the jewel trade and it's not an industry that's always on the up and up. Derek Franklin has been on a roller coaster ride of late as his steeplechase jockey career is nearing the end with him sustaining yet another injury. During his forced leave to heal, Derek finds out that his older brother, Greville, has been attacked and is on his deathbed. After his brother succumbs to his injuries, Derek is told that he has inherited his brother's business. Too late to protect himself, Derek realizes that his brother was a target and Derek suspects it has something to do with a fortune in missing diamonds.

This isn't a direct "who dun it" but also has a few subplots that are enjoyable in their own right. When Derek is summoned to his dying brother's hospital bed, the interaction (or lack there of) made me very thankful for the close relationship I have with my brothers and sisters. This thankfulness was reinforced throughout the story, as Derek learns more about his older brother and begins to understand him.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Derek is sure that a clue is hidden in his brother's computer, but he is unable to access the correct password. Greville's secretary comes to the rescue. After hearing the clues left by Greville, followed by a brief mind struggle, she comes up with the correct code word and up pops a message on the computer screen congratulating her and promising her a raise. Now that's the kind of boss I want - he sounds fun!

The only negative some may have with this book is that it is a detour for Dick Francis. As most of his books revolve around horseracing, his devoted fans have come to expect that background. In Straight the only reference to horseracing is the fact that Derek is an injured jockey.

Want to read a mystery that will have you guessing until the end? If so, then this is the book for you to read next! It's very enjoyable and will have you wondering until the very end.

This is a text book of modern negotiation. A great place to start your studies for the classic ideas, or a great place to go for the expert looking for fresh ideas. This book is worth while because the method works! Basically, the authors use the most advanced problem solving approaches and apply them to the study and practice of negotiation. Nice work!

Most books on negotiating fall into the win-win or win-loose categories, or some hybrid, but all of these focus primarily on the face-to-face tactics at the negotiating table. This book distinguishes itself by focusing not only on at-the-table tactics, but also on two other critical dimensions: 1. deal design, concerning value, substance, outcomes, and occurring "on the drawing board" and 2. setup, concerning architecture, and happens away from the table.

The authors delve into each of these three dimensions (tactics, deal design, and setup) in great depth, providing a powerful analytical framework, cases, and numerous guidelines and creative insights. This is a an outstanding and substantive book!

For an experienced business negotiator, this paints a broader, "global" negotiating paradigm that is well worth read.

Most books on negotiation combine the hardball win-lose tactics with the more effective win-win approach. 3-D Negotiation is different: it adds a new third dimension to negotiation, mainly the need for developing a dynamic strategy on how to set up and shape the optimum situation and overall conditions for negotiations (away from the table), and well before negotiations start. Of course, the authors believe that negotiators must employ all three dimensions as needed during most negotiations.

This new third dimension includes, among other things, "acting to ensure the right parties have been involved, in the right sequence, to deal with the right issues that engage the right set of interests, at the right tables, at the right time, under the right expectations, and facing the right consequences of walking away if there is no deal."

Here is real-world example of acting to ensure the right parties and the right sequence: A US firm was looking to establish a joint venture in Mexico and had identified three potential partners (one excellent, one good, and one that barely meets the set criteria). Should this firm start negotiations with the best prospect, and if those negotiations fail, then move to the next, and so on? Or wouldn't it be far better if this US firm makes it known in the industry (in Mexico) that they are looking for a joint venture partner, and induce these three prospects to come to the US firm? Negotiating simultaneously with the three potential partners was indeed better, especially that the US firm set up the negotiation conditions whereby the three Mexican prospects were rushing to compete for the joint venture!

Although this book introduces a third dimension to negotiation, the other two dimensions are also well covered by the authors, with a large number of real-world examples. The second dimension covers designing value-creating deals, including the traditional concept of enlarging the pie, and how to make lasting deals. The first dimension focuses on the tactics at the negotiation table, including problem-solving tactics such as shaping perceptions, setting ambitious target prices, interpersonal skills, cultural empathy, and many other tactics familiar to those who have read traditional negotiation books.

In short, 3-D Negotiation is a welcomed addition to the topic of negotiation, especially due to its strategic approach to negotiations. I particularly like the idea of backward mapping the negotiation process, starting with the desired target or outcome, then mapping all the parties, their interests, no-deal options. I was also intrigued by the authors' philosophy and the 3-D strategy of: "Let them have your way", as well as their concept of "Zone of Possible Agreement".

Although this excellent book is written with important and complex deals in mind, the 3-D approach can be indeed applied to simpler deals and negotiations. In fact, the reader will find a large number of examples of negotiations ranging from the simple ones such as buying a car or a house, to the more complex ones such as negotiations between countries, or among large international organizations.

Not as readable as "Getting to Yes" or "Getting Past No", but very well-written. Not too academic, but deep enough for the professional negotiator. Accessible for those first being exposed to the topic.

Yes I can follow this one. It is crystal clear. I like the plot and the story of the delivery man. I don't like stuffy things. I like this book. It is not heavy like 2012. Easy easy does it. I enjoyed it a lot.

Matts dad, Denny Thurman, dresses up as a UPS Delivery man and goes to Matts school and kidnaps him so that he can take Matt to his sisters and make his sister feel sorry for him and want to give him money. At the same time that Denny is taking Matt to his sisters, Bonnie is leaving her school to go get Matt from his. MAtt and Pookie, his dog, are nowhere to be found in this great book. It was the best book i have ever read! I didnt want to put it down!

It all started when Denny went to Matt's house to get a dog in Matt's so he could make come to his car by telling him that the dog has been runned over.Later Matt wanted to go to the restroom Denny left the dog tied on the post with Matt not noing.The other day Denny told him if he Matt wanted to go to the baseball game he said yes.Bonnie's friends told her if she wanted to go to the game she said yes. When Matt went to the game Bonnie saw Matt,but Matt did not see her.Then they tried to escape from Denny but Denny saw them leave so he got them back.Denny tried to get Bonnie killed, but Matt did not let that happen.The police took them back home safely.

The Amber Alert goes off. You turn on your T.V. faster than a man running across hot coals. Someone has been reported missing. Abduction is a scary thought, especially when you are very young. Most of us have been told to never to talk to strangers. Unfortunately, an eight-year-old boy named Matt encounters this situation in Abduction!
Matt was excused to go to the bathroom one day at school. On the way, he met a stranger. The stranger lied to him and told him his dog Pookie was hurt. He said Pookie was in the car, and Matt went into the car. He doesn't realize his father kidnapped him.
The eight-year-old struggles through many hard times while he was a hostage to his dad, who also was his mom's ex-husband. Matt realizes his father gambles often, and because of that, he loses money frequently. His dad tells another lie, saying his mom and sister were in a car accident and died. In Abduction!, the author shows the importance of family and not talking to strangers. This book is filled with adventure, sadness, and happiness. It teaches a valuable lesson to go along with the twists and turns of the exciting plot.

ABDUCTION is an excellent suspense novel with a lot of good information about what families go through and can do in the event of an abduction. Peg Kehret combines a tremendous amount of facts throughout the tense narrative, such as the fact that most kidnapped children are taken by non-custodial parents and how an Amber alert works.

But the story is the real draw here. Matt, a kindergartener, goes missing from his school. His kidnapper is his biological father, a man he's never laid eyes on. Denny Thurman, Matt's dad, is a gambling addict whose latest scheme involves "borrowing" money from his sister and brother-in-law to raise his son.

Thirteen-year-old Bonnie, Matt's sister, gets caught up in the search for her little brother. Kehret pulls the reader into Bonnie's world, sharing her helplessness and frustration as well as the sharp fear that fills her.

The pacing is frantic as the reader flips back and forth between the scenes involving Bonnie, Matt, the kidnapper, and a few extra characters (like the elderly couple that finds the abandoned family dog, Pookie, and decides to take him home).

The climax of the book is exciting and uses a lot of the Seattle setting shown in the novel. Bonnie is a true heroine, but she's not of the Wonder Woman variety. She uses her wits and her heart, and stands her ground with the kidnapper to protect her little brother.

ABDUCTION is a great read to share with a pre-teen or even to be read to an aggressive third- or fourth-grader who likes being read to. My son and I enjoyed this book a lot, but some of the tense scenes made him nervous. He couldn't stop thinking about Matt and his situation until we turned the last page. More than that, he knows more about Stranger Danger and that there are a lot of agencies that look for missing children.

A lot of stories in here for a collection, 39 all told. When it says it is a collection of his short fiction, they really mean it. Most of the tales here are of around the ten page variety. The majority are done in a similar style and structure, barring his Mythos story to start.

He definitely goes in for succinct titles.

A lot of school stories and book industry related, as well, so obviously that is on his mind a lot. Apparently we can thank the horrors of those toffy pommie schools for some of this stuff.

Alone with the Horrors : The Room In the Castle - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Cold Print - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Scar - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Interloper - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Guy - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The End of a Summer's Day - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Man in the Underpass - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Companion - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Call First - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Heading Home - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : In the Bag - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Baby - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Chimney - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Stages - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Brood - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Loveman's Comeback - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Gap - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Voice of the Beach - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Out of Copyright - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Above the World - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Mackintosh Willy - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Show Goes On - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Ferries - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Midnight Hobo - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Depths - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Down There - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Fit - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Hearing Is Believing - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Hands - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Again - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Just Waiting - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Seeing the World - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Old Clothes - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Apples - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : The Other Side - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Where the Heart Is - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Boiled Alive - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : Another World - Ramsey Campbell
Alone with the Horrors : End of the Line - Ramsey Campbell


Byatis is bloody big.

3.5 out of 5


Whacker Revelations.

4 out of 5


Bricked.

3 out of 5


Poetry boy punishment.

3.5 out of 5


That's no dummy?

4 out of 5


Lost hubbie.

3.5 out of 5


Mouse sacrifice.

3.5 out of 5


Ghost train surprise.

3.5 out of 5


Skeletal nailer woman.

3 out of 5


Where's me noggin, then?

4 out of 5


Plastic stranger.

3.5 out of 5


Pram devil.

3 out of 5


Santa scare.

3.5 out of 5


It's a trip to not do it by myself.

3.5 out of 5


Moth problem.

3.5 out of 5


S3xual summoning.

4 out of 5


Blind alley.

3 out of 5


Transformation not looked forward to.

3.5 out of 5


Editorial summoning.

4 out of 5


Prefer indoors.

3 out of 5


No shelter left.

3.5 out of 5


Own advice no use.

3.5 out of 5


Very wet message in a bottle.

4 out of 5


Radio echo.

3 out of 5


True crime.

3 out of 5


Rattypuffs.

3.5 out of 5


Nekkid aunt will put you off for life.

3.5 out of 5


Greek daydream scare.

2.5 out of 5


Nun not handy.

3 out of 5


Flyblown Bungalow punishment.

4 out of 5


Wish the olds were gone.

3.5 out of 5


Sunken entertainment.

3 out of 5


Get jewellery with no appendages.

3.5 out of 5


Bobbing with the wrong crowd.

3.5 out of 5


Clown double axed.

4 out of 5


Home memories.

3 out of 5


Movie phone number pain.

3 out of 5


No Kingdom of God.

3 out of 5


Many voices.

2.5 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

This is my all time favorite book. It is an anthology of several stories written by Ramsey Campbell from the sixties up to 1991. All of the stories are good but ones like Down There, Just Waiting, The Voice of the Beach, The Scar, and The Brood are truly brilliant. Mr. Campbell writes with a very surrealistic dream-like quality that is unique and compelling. There are Lovecraftian tales, ghost stories, and many that can't be put into any category but there own. Ramsey Campbell should be considered amoung the all time greats in horror fiction history, along with the likes of M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft and Algernon Blackwood. You can't go wrong with this book if you like horror.

Ramsey Campbell has produced some of the greatest short horror stories ever written. Most of them are in this volumn.
Mostly Campbell is influenced by H P Lovecraft rather than explicit gore or gratuitous violence - although there are always exceptions! So his writing style is completely different from say Stephen King, but both are masters of short horror fiction in their different ways.

The stories within are as scary as horror fiction can get. Amongst my favourites are "In the Bag", and perhaps best of all "The Companion". You know how with some novels (King on occasions is an example) after reading through hundreds of pages you get to the end and think - is that it? I.e. the ending never quite leaves you satisfied despite the brilliance of the story telling before (again King). Well you won't get this with Campbell's short stories, his end with a punch, metaphorically a knock-out one to your head...

Another splendid volumn to get if this one becomes unavailable is Dark Companions which contains many of the same stories. You'll probably only get this 2nd hand but its worth searching out.

I love these types of horrors, this book is wonderfully written and provides page after page of chilling accounts. a horror I could really get into from first page to the last. I found to be very chilling and creepy and in likness to "12345 Are You Dead Or Still Alive?"

I bought this book on a whim, never having read anything by Ramsey Campbell before, and I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY with his writing style.

Campbell has a way of penning each of his stories in such a way that you literally feel like you're trapped in the story--trapped in a terrible nightmare that you can't wake up from! There is not a bad story in this book, and I soon found that I preferred Campbell over King and other hack-and-slash writers for two reasons: 1) There is not a lot of blood-and-guts gore in any of these stories, in most cases none at all, and 2) Campbell does not use a lot of four-letter words in his writings, something I found very appealing and refreshing. And yet every story is absolutely terrifying!

This collection is an absolute must for any serious horror fan. I highly recommend it to anyone who has never read Campbell before.

I purchased Jain's "The Art of Computer Systems Performance Analysis" for a 3-month graduate course, and I must admit that, in retrospect, I was a bit daunted by its size upon receipt (we were to cover the entire text). Further, I had my doubts about the relevancy of the text in the current environment, given its age.

But I must say, both of these initial questions proved wholly unfounded.

I've never used a text quite like this one before; it is a significant departure from the standard engineering text that weighs heavily on the side of analytical proof and mathematical equations, while foregoing textual elaboration. On the contrary, this book adopts a conversational tone whereby the author develops all of the book's topics in great detail, relying on substantial insight and experience. Truly, a breath of fresh air.

There's such a richness about this text, that a careful read--while admittedly quite time-consuming--is bound to give the reader a sense that he has just become the beneficiary of a heck of a lot of wisdom.

All of this is not to say the text is overly-subjective; in fact, there is plenty of detailed analytical analysis. It is just to say that the book is different, and one that exudes quality communication: it reads more like a lecture than it does lecture notes.

So, back to my initial doubts. It turns out that the verbose depth of material which constitutes the book's 720 pages is really a foundation of its main qualities: it is a very readable and highly-detailed exploration of the art and the craft of performance analysis. And it's for that foundational reason that its age is irrelevant.

A solid book indeed. It has the right mixture of theory and practical cases well dealt with. The techinques must be tried for performance analysis and implemented in real time projects.

This old book is one of the most valued on my shelf. I was first exposed to it in a graduate class, and I have to say that the book is so good I was not aware that my professor was not a good instructor until I had him a second time in a class where the textbook was less than stellar. Don't judge the book by a quick perusal either. At first glance, especially if you are looking at Part I, it looks like one of those books on Six Sigma that will put you to sleep. In fact, the vast majority of the book is quite interesting.

Part II, "Measurement Techniques and Tools", are where things get interesting. The good part about this entire book is that it uses problems in the analysis of computer systems as the basis of presentation for all tools presented. The graphs are excellent, the mathematics are largely self-contained, and if algorithms are presented they are usually given in numbered steps and an actual computer program shown. This is one drawback of the book - it uses the ancient Simula language for its demonstration code. However, if you are familiar with C, Java, or any of the other mainstream procedural languages, you'll find that Simula looks like very readable pseudocode, so this should not be an obstacle to understanding.

Part III is a section dedicated entirely to probability theory and statistics. Starting with the simple definition of the mean, this handy section not only derives all of the statistics you need in this book, it talks about common mistakes made in applying them.

Part IV is about experimental design and analysis. Using the mathematics developed in part three this section talks about all aspects of designing a proper experiment for the measurement or simulation of a computer system, including common mistakes and the best choice for the size of your experiment.

Part V presents the key issues in simulation modeling. First it discusses simulation terminology, simulation design criteria, and stopping conditions. Random number generation is the subject of three chapters in reference to inputs to your simulation. Finally there is a chapter on the commonly used distributions such as Bernoulli, beta, binomial, etc. that talks specifically about random number generation algorithms for each of the distributions presented. What makes this section so valuable is that although you may have possibly seen the math before, more than likely you don't know the value of each kind of distribution. This section makes that issue clear in terms of modeling computer performance.

Part VI is on queuing models, and is probably the most difficult section in the book. Although it is one of the better written pieces I have read on queueing theory, it is not as easily grasped as previous sections based on reading the textbook alone. There are examples present, and the book does a good job of presenting "the big picture" as to the use of queueing theory in computer performance analysis, but you may need outside material to really grasp how to set up a queueing problem from a mathematical standpoint.

No other book I've found does such a good job of discussing all of the topics covered and clearly tying it into practical issues in measuring and monitoring system performance. I highly recommend it.

I'm a performance analyst. I couldn't do my job properly without this book. It really is that simple.

This is an absolute gem. I really think that this book must be read by every CS/EE engineer. Performance analysis is always something that comes as an afterthought and engineers think that some some "mathematical" guy called a perf analyst will stop by after the product is completed and analyze the product. This is def wrong. PA should be done at every stage of production.

This book has been written assuming a novice reader. Several parts of the book have to re-read to really understand what the author is trying to convey, but trust me you will really appreciate it.

I suggest reading the following parts of the book(in order):

Part I (whole)
Part II (4, 5, 6, browse {7,8}, 9, 10 ) 10 is cool stuff..impress your peers with this
Part III (whole) read, re-read, re-read till you have digested every line..worth it really!!!!
Part IV (whole) read, re-read, re-read till you have digested every line..worth it really!!!!
Part V : You can skip this if you are not into simulation.
Part VI : Not really that easy to follow. I suggest Gunter's book for this.

I'm not sure what the publishers were thinking when they chose a picture of a white horse and a cowboy as the cover illustration for this great poem about the ninth-century Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred the Great. It sets the wrong mood for the story.

Anne Perry, the enormously popular writer of historical fiction, just recommended this ballad by G. K. Chesterton as one of five must read tales of historical fiction. (See the Wall Street Journal's online Opinion Page for April 21, 2007 in an article entitled "Past Tense.") Here's part of what she said:

"This is the story of the English King Alfred's desperate stand against invading Danes in 878. England is conquered, and Alfred is a fugitive when he sees a vision of the Virgin Mary that bids him call together the remnants of his people for a final battle. "The Ballad of the White Horse" is an epic poem of courage, passion and unsurpassable beauty."

If you'd like to read other tales and poems by Chesterton, you might want to get "The Ballad of the White Horse" as part of a collection of his poetry that I edited for not much more money. It's called G. K. Chesterton's Early Poetry and has "The Ballad of the White Horse," along with two other books of Chesterton poetry under one cover. That means you'll also get his best humorous poetry, "Greybeards at Play." No less a writer than George Orwell ranked Chesterton as one of the three best writers of funny poetry in twentieth century England. The poems are a riot of the ridiculous and are accompanied with equally funny sketches he did.

And although Anne Perry and I have the same last name, as far as I know we're not related. Her's is a pen name. Mine is a real name. I guess I'm not creative enough to invent a name for myself.

G. K. Chesterton's Early Poetry: Greybeards At Play, The Wild Knight And Other Poems, The Ballad Of The White Horse

Mr. Chesterton has a masterful skill with the pen; _Orthodoxy_ and _The Napoleon of Notting Hill_ are wonderful books--but _The Ballad of the White Horse_ is heartbreaking in its power, beauty, and nobility. With a stunning use of alliteration, rhythm, and imagery, Mr. Chesterton teaches the reader about true hearts, true faith, and true sacrifice. I have bought a few copies of this book to give as gifts to friends, and I eagerly recommend it to anyone who will listen. This book is a must-have for any individual interested in expanding their knowledge of great poetry!

Out of the thousand or so books I have read in my life, if I were to put the Bible aside (since the Bible speaks with a special authority to believers and cannot really be compared to other books), I have read no more than five or six books that I would call truly great. That means there are only five or six books I would rate at five stars. This is one. Yes, it is that good.

I have never read any author who could make the English language sing the way Chesterton does in this poem -- for over a hundred pages. In contrast to contemporary "poets" whose "poems" consist of a bunch of strange words scattered apparently at random on a page, whose meaning, if there is one, is far beyond obscurity, Chesterton had apparently unlimited ability to create rhyme and alliteration, and then he bound it all tightly in the sing-song ballad style that carries it all swiftly along. The words of this poem are glorious to hear, and really, this book should be read aloud, so that one might hear the music of the words.

And few have ever been able to match the way Chesterton paints pictures with words. I will quote one passage, and hope it is not to long, to illustrate this. The scene here is Alfred's army making one final charge against the Danish camp:

Then bursting all and blasting
Came Christendom like death,
Kicked of such catapults of will,
The staves shiver, the barrels spill,
The waggons waver and crash and kill
The waggoners beneath.

Barriers go backward, banners rend,
Great shields groan like a gong,
Horses like horns of nightmare
Neigh horribly and long.

Horses ramp and rock and boil
And break their golden reins,
And slide on carnage clamorously,
Down where the bitter blood doth lie,
Where Ogier went on foot to die
In the old way of the Danes.

It would be hard to imagine anyone anyone describing such a violent scene in so few words any better than Chesterton does in that passage. And this passage is but one of dozens of glorious word-pictures that Chesterton's poetry paints in this book.

Beyond its magnificent use of the English language, this book also contains much philosophical insight -- insight that, although first published in 1911, is directly and clearly applicable today. Chesterton expresses very clearly the way that Christianity has formed the heart of Western culture over the ages, and the way that Christian faith -- which seems all about self-denial and thus sadness -- leads to unconquerable joy.

The book, of course, is not perfect; no work of literature can be. There are places where it gets a bit too preachy for my taste. But the book's flaws are few and minor, while its good points are many and glorious.

How good is this book? I have read it at least 50 times in my life, and I still enjoy reading it. In my opinion it is one of the truly greatest works written in the English language. It is one of the few books I have read that truly deserves five stars.

I had read some of Chesterton's fictional books, most of which contain poems which he has written, and I very much enjoyed his poems, so I decided to get a book of his poetry. This too I really enjoyed, so I decided to get another book of his poetry, this time it was The Ballad of the White Horse, and this book simply blew away all of the rest of Chesterton's poems. In fact, it simply blows away most poems by anyone. I have read Dante's Divine Comedy, Milton' Paradise Lost, Eliot's Wasteland, Chaucer's Canturbury Tales, etc., but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this epic far more than any of them. I am not saying that it is a better written poem or that it should be ranked above these classics, but I am saying that it is much more exciting to read than the others. Somehow Chesterton makes his poem involving: you are drawn into it and cannot put the book down until you have finished the chapter. He wrote it in such a way that the verses beg to be read quickly, and as I read I found myself reading faster and faster, until I was stumbling over the words and had to slow down again. Chesterton, like no other poet whom I know of, paints a picture of glory, honor, bravery, and captures the true spirit of an idealized Medieval War. The poem resounds with the drums of doom, the cries of angels, the hordes of invading barbarians and great deeds of heroes of old. If I were to recommend owning one epic poem, this would be the one.

Overall grade: A+