N Books

This book is a classic and will be an important title in my library. It's worth a second read.

Love this entire series. It's such a different viewpoint of the Bible stories that we are all familiar with. The author makes it very plausible. I really enjoyed it.

Xmas (or X-mas) is an abbreviation for Christmas. It is derived from the word ×ÑÉÓÔÏÓ, transliterated as Christos, which is Greek for Christ. Greek is the language in which the whole New Testament was written.
Originally, in "Xmas", X represented the Greek letter ÷ (chi). It was pronounced with an aspirated [kh], which is the first letter of Christ's name in Greek. However, because an upper-case ÷ has the same shape as a Latin alphabet letter X, many people who do not know the history assume that this abbreviation is meant to "take Christ out of Christmas"

This is a terrific story, placed in a prospective where characters come to life that you knew existed in the lives of the main characters but never came to know until Gene Edwards brought them to life in story. It is like seeing God's plan come into fruition before your eyes. Even a small child can comprehend the awesomeness of God as it is being read to them. It brings relationships between people into view that are so natural and normal that it makes you feel you are a part of story, like a friend standing right there in the midst of all the events. Mr. Edwards carrys an anointing that most good writers can't even imagine exist.

This is Book 5 of the Chronicles of the Door. It deals with future events, mostly from the viewpoint of the angels in heaven. I really enjoyed the entire series; my only wish was that it had been longer and more in depth. This is a great finale which finally brings to light the mysteries pondered by man and angels. I strongly recommend the entire series, which begins with, appropriately, "The Beginning."

Blueprint for Black Power details a master plan for the power revolution necessary for Black survival in the 21st century. Blueprints posits that an African American/Caribbean/Pan-African bloc would be most potent for the generation and delivery of Black power in the United States and the World to counter White and Asian power networks. Wilson frames this imperative by deconstructing the U.S. elite power structure of government, political parties, think tanks, corporations, foundations, media, interest groups, banking and foreign investment particulars. Potentially strong Black institutions as the church, media and think tanks; industry; collectives such as investment clubs and credit unions; rotating credit associations such as Afrikan-originated esusu, tontine and partner are analyzed. Pan-Afrikanism, Black Nationalism, ethnocentrism and reparation are assessed, often misused and underused financial institutions as securities, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, underwriting, and incubators advocated, thus elucidating oft-negated opportunities for economic empowerment.

ECONOMIC DESTINY DETERMINES BIOLOGICAL DESTINY!This book although big and thick it really is the blueprint for power. It expands on what BLACK Labor White Wealth by Claude Anderson PHD talks about. This book covers all the bases. Mr Wilson's book shows how insightful he is about the problems we face today. He shows several ways how we can have heaven while we LIVE overnight if we do what he suggests. It shows how the power is within our grasp if we will only wake up and raise our consciousness of what is really going on, I was awakened several times in this book; Wilson names names of the organizations and the people in the organizations that are anti black. He names the black leaders that are anti black too. He explains what's going on and why it continues unabated. He talks about how the nation uses psychic warfare to keep African Americans down. He explains how they deliberately keep blacks out of higher education; yes, we do get an education but there are different levels of education. There's the education that will teach you how to use a computer and then there's the education that will teach you how to make a computer from raw materials. Big difference! He talks about how blacks have very few people who have this very high level of knowledge that can be used by blacks to be more valuable to the world. He explains how too many blacks have a consumer mentality not a producer mentality. He has charts and references galore showing startling comparisons between blacks and whites that should not be missed by anyone of african ancestry. He goes deep into the obstacles that are holding blacks back in spite of drive and determination to succeed(Think and Grow Rich a black choice IS NOT the last word on success). He really made me rethink whether or not it is probable not possible to succeed when starting with no money. Wilson says the odds are against it. Of course you can always find someone who has succeeded from all the ghettos in the world but what about the other people in the same situation who didn't have any money, no inheritance from parents, no references, no relatives, no insurance money coming to them because their parents just died, no money coming to them from an injury and no one to give you advice. This is why so many blacks find themselves in jail or working menial jobs according to Wilson. The author suggests an african centered consciousness that will help the weakest one of us and help all of us to see immediate progress. This book is truly shocking; over and over again he talks about the consequences of not raising ourselves up:BIOLOGICAL DEMISE! Really this is no joking manner; the author has me convinced and Black Wealth White Labor says the same thing that if we do not learn how to compete with white people we will go the way of the indians. It is imperative that we adapt this philosophy before it is too late.

Blueprint for Black Power details a master plan for the power revolution necessary for Black survival in the 21st century. Blueprints posits that an African American/Caribbean/Pan-African bloc would be most potent for the generation and delivery of Black power in the United States and the World to counter White and Asian power networks. Wilson frames this imperative by deconstructing the U.S. elite power structure of government, political parties, think tanks, corporations, foundations, media, interest groups, banking and foreign investment particulars. Potentially strong Black institutions as the church, media and think tanks; industry; collectives such as investment clubs and credit unions; rotating credit associations such as Afrikan-originated esusu, tontine and partner are analyzed. Pan-Afrikanism, Black Nationalism, ethnocentrism and reparation are assessed, often misused and underused financial institutions as securities, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, underwriting, and incubators advocated, thus elucidating oft-negated opportunities for economic empowerment.

The late Amos Wilson wrote a blockbuster with this book. In in he states why African-Americans are economically powerless. He also states how they are to achieve power. A book well worth reading.

A lot to read, but well worth the investment. This book, if taken to heart, should be required reading for all Blacks and anyone interested in the advancment of Black people. Every thing you ever wanted to know about the who, what, when, where and why of the Black condition and how to rise above White dominance is right here.

My practice is in neurosurgery, but dive medicine is taking up more and more of my time. This is an excellent review of all the pertinent physiology, pathology, and treatments for diving related illness. It builds very nicely on the prior editions. A great resource for dive medical officers, as well as serious divers wanting to build their knowledge base.

There is no doubt that this is a comprehensive and clear introduction into diving medicine. It certainly dealt very well with all of the questions that I had regarding both the Pathophysiology of Diving Medicine and also some of the practical considerations arising from these. Additionally I am sure that this book would be suitable for those without formal Medical training who wish to further their knowledge in this field. My only reservation is that the layout of the book appears very dated. The black-and-white pictures and diagrams could be made so much more engaging and more clear if they were brightened up a little. This is a criticism which could be aimed at many books outside of the main general Undergraduate texts, however just because a situation is widely tolerated it does not mean a publisher shouldn't try a bit harder to make a better product, especially when the content is absolutely first class as it undoubtedly is in this case.

After perusing the textbooks of diving medicine, this continues to be a gold standard in the literature. Readers should note it does not compete with the 2003 Bennett and Elliott's Physiology and Medicine of Diving. B&E is more a physiology of normal persons while diving and is geared to being as factually driven as possible. Bove focuses on medical issues and the physiology that makes it happen, with substantial discussion on diagnosis and treatment of diving illnesses and of ill people [Diabetics, Asthmatics etc.] who wish to dive. There is an amount of cross over between both text, but Bove's expert opinion approach fills the many gaps of facts in B&E. You MUST own both texts to cover the field in toto.

Tip: You can read Bove very quickly by reading the last paragraph or sentence in each section, it summarizes the whole block of text very succinctly.

I previously reviewed the 3rd Edition, just received the 4th, and after a cover to cover dissection must applaud its extensively updated chapters notably cardiology, decompression science, treatments and diagnoses, updated appendix on Diabetes mellitus and diving. More focus is made on hydrostatic pressure spikes in the reduction of bubble formation, data that although present in the 3rd Edition, did not get as much emphasis. The timeliness of the updates is in tune with the zeitgeist for bubble decompression models used in technical diving gaining momentum since Year 2000 [VPM and RGBM.]

The quality of the book's hardbound production has diminished, as the rugged linen-type cover binding, extant in the past WB Saunders Editions, has been replaced by a glossy paper overlay on cardboard, reflecting a new philosophy of the books publishers, Elsevier, and of WB Saunders to a fading trademark. The print itself seems sharp, and appears more like a laser printer output on 'economy' mode. The cover binding is hastily pasted in my edition, compared to the meticulous tight binding, and near flawless lines of the 3rd Edition. There are over a 100 new pages in this edition. Bookmaking, a dying art!

The editing is superb, near typo free, to this reviewer at this time, compare against typos present in 2003 B&E and the 2000 NOAA Diving Manual. Inconsequential, but reflects the rigor by which Dr. Bove put into crafting this textbook.

My favorite diving medicine textbook. If you like the no-nonsense format of the NOAA Diving Manual, Bove too, shoots from the hip. Bove is best in the hands of medical professionals, as brevity in some discussion presumes a background in medical care. Focusing on medical professionals may limit its audience, but astute readers anywhere may appreciate its directness, as a distillation, its strong spirit. Diving Medicine is a MUST for any physician treating civilian divers, and its format makes for quick reference for primary care gives who occassionally encounter divers with medical issues.

I read this book cover to cover before taking Medical Boards in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine. I enjoyed the experience greatly, and passed the Boards. It is well-organized and easy to read if you have at least a diving background. I am a pulmonary and critical care specialist (and diver) and found it very straight-forward. I recommend reading this book in conjunction with the US Navy Diving Manual which is available through .... in print (but I prefer the CD ROM published by the Navy and others). We keep these references at our hyperbaric unit at UCLA where we have already done 4 Table VI treatments this week.

One of the best books every written about the Broadway Theatre. Lots of little known facts, lots of pictures. A fountain of knowledge and a must have for every Broadway buff.

This is an amazing book that covers from Gilbert and Sullivan to (almost) present day.
It is very much worth it's weight in gold if you love Broadway and Music Theatre.

This book is great for anyone - from the Broadway musical savant to the average curious person to the theatre student.

If you've seen the PBS television series, Broadway: The American Musical, this book acts as a fantastic companion and will look great on your bookshelf or coffee table!

It's virtually exactly the same as the DVD in terms of following the chronology of the development of Broadway but the great thing about it is it seems to come with additional pictures not seen in the series and great quotes. Forget about flicking on your DVD! If you need a quick reference you could turn to any page and find something interesting about Broadway to read about.

If you enjoyed the series and are passionate about Broadway, I would thoroughly recommend this book as it has everything in there that you'd need to know. Enjoy it!

If you're into theatre, this book is a must-have! You won't find any other book that gives you such a detailed and accurate history of Musical Theatre. The pictures are great and the reading is outstanding!

the most enjoyable book i have found to bring back the days of growing up in the wonderful, diverse city of Brooklyn. i keep 5 copies on hand and give them out to people i meet of my generation frim Brooklyn.

BROOKLYN: A STATE OF MIND, edited by Michael Robbins, is a treat for anyone who wonders about the place they always hear about in movies and t.v. or who was born and raised in the greatest borough of the greatest city on Earth (ahem). In spite of the gimmicky subtitle, this collection of essays and stories, photos and cartoons, film scripts and stills, is as informative, inspiring, stunning, human, and a little bit scary as the place itself. Some of my favorite pieces are:

1) David McCullough's "Harry Truman: Live and In Color in Brooklyn". (I'm a sucker for anything by McCullough, anyway.)

2) Glenn Thrush's "The Mistake of '98". In 1898, when Manhattan (which was New York City back then) incorporated the surrounding four boroughs to create Greater New York City, everyone thought it was a fantastic idea--everyone, except for Brooklynites, that is. Brooklyn, which at the time was the third or fourth largest city in the U.S., really didn't want to be associated with the dirty, corrupt and immigrant-filled island on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. (Brooklyn wanted to be its own dirty, corrupt and immigrant filled place.) Thrush's piece is a fascinating look at the events leading up to and years after the consolidation.

3)Jon Gartenberg's "Brooklyn on Film: The Guy from Brooklyn in World War II". I had always remembered watching old WWII movies and, sure enough, there was always the Brooklyn guy. Even in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, the character, Reiben (sp?), is from King's County and wears a Brooklyn bomber jacket. Gartenberg explains why this staple became so common in this movie genre.

Lastly, the photos, some of the best are by Stanley Greenberg and Genevieve Naylor, provided some breathing room around the enormous amount of text. BROOKLYN: A STATE OF MIND is one of the best books about the greatest place on the planet. Got a problem wid dat?

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points

This is a scrapbook of the world's greatest city from the end of WW II to about the beginnings of television. It's necessarily sentimental because almost everyone who contributed to the volume doesn't live there any more. They (we) did our best and went elsewhere and although we may have succeeded because of the place we came from, most of had to leave to be who we are.
So this is a sentimental tribute to the old country. The photographs are wonderful-that is, they tell the truth as I remember it and some of the essays are great.
This is another bedside, bathroom, waiting room book best sampled in small doses and savored.

Lynn Hoffman, Brooklyn Tech '61 and author of New Short Course in Wine,The and the Brooklynesque bang BANG: A Novel

125 stories packed with interest. If Chicago is the city of big shoulders, we learn, Brooklyn is the city of big mouths. Mel Brooks growing up in Williamsburg. Coney Island weirdness. Neighborhoods decline and are reborn. The world's handball champ. Blacks, Jews, Italians. Park Slope, Bed Stuy, bensonhurst, Flatbush, Midwood, Gravesend. A black themed B&B in a Victorian mansion. Comedians, musicians, crooks, athletes , writers all tell their stories. Rivoting.

Great packaging, index, photos.

I grew up in Brooklyn in the 50s/60s. I now live in Los Angeles but I still miss the old neighborhoods. The stories in this book bring me right back. It's a great read for people who want to reminisce or for someone who would like to get a taste of life in a time of innocence in a place of unparalleled sense of community.

"FANS OF ADMIRAL GALLERY'S UNIQUE BRAND OF SEA YARNS WILL LOVE IT." -- Herman Wouk

"Vintage Gallery humor! As long as Fatso lives, the U.S. Navy will Survive." -- WILLIAM J. LEDERER

"The U.S. Navy doesn't need a whole fleet in the Mediterranean. All it needs is a 70-foot motorized barge -- LCU-1124 -- commanded by a resourceful Boatswain's Mate First Class like Fatso Gioninni ." -- THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW.

"It would take half the page to do justice to this ferociously funny novel... The imperturbable malice Admiral Gallery uses to spoof everything from the way the Navy is run to the poverty program is an exercise in risible ingenuity. This is one of the most hilarious sugar coatings over hard core of fact I have read and if it isn't made into a movie or serve as the nucleus for a TV series, there is no justice!" -- Jefferson Parish Times, Metairie, LA

"FANS OF ADMIRAL GALLERY'S UNIQUE BRAND OF SEA YARNS WILL LOVE IT." -- Herman Wouk

"Vintage Gallery humor! As long as Fatso lives, the U.S. Navy will Survive." -- WILLIAM J. LEDERER

"The U.S. Navy doesn't need a whole fleet in the Mediterranean. All it needs is a 70-foot motorized barge -- LCU-1124 -- commanded by a resourceful Boatswain's Mate First Class like Fatso Gioninni ." -- THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW.

"It would take half the page to do justice to this ferociously funny novel... The imperturbable malice Admiral Gallery uses to spoof everything from the way the Navy is run to the poverty program is an exercise in risible ingenuity. This is one of the most hilarious sugar coatings over hard core of fact I have read and if it isn't made into a movie or serve as the nucleus for a TV series, there is no justice!" -- Jefferson Parish Times, Metairie, LA

Cap'n Fatso
"FANS OF ADMIRAL GALLERY'S UNIQUE BRAND OF SEA YARNS WILL LOVE IT." -- Herman Wouk

"Vintage Gallery humor! As long as Fatso lives, the U.S. Navy will Survive." -- WILLIAM J. LEDERER

"The U.S. Navy doesn't need a whole fleet in the Mediterranean. All it needs is a 70-foot motorized barge -- LCU-1124 -- commanded by a resourceful Boatswain's Mate First Class like Fatso Gioninni ." -- THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW.

"It would take half the page to do justice to this ferociously funny novel... The imperturbable malice Admiral Gallery uses to spoof everything from the way the Navy is run to the poverty program is an exercise in risible ingenuity. This is one of the most hilarious sugar coatings over hard core of fact I have read and if it isn't made into a movie or serve as the nucleus for a TV series, there is no justice!" -- Jefferson Parish Times, Metairie, LA

Cap'n Fatso
"FANS OF ADMIRAL GALLERY'S UNIQUE BRAND OF SEA YARNS WILL LOVE IT." -- Herman Wouk

"Vintage Gallery humor! As long as Fatso lives, the U.S. Navy will Survive." -- WILLIAM J. LEDERER

"The U.S. Navy doesn't need a whole fleet in the Mediterranean. All it needs is a 70-foot motorized barge -- LCU-1124 -- commanded by a resourceful Boatswain's Mate First Class like Fatso Gioninni ." -- THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW.

"It would take half the page to do justice to this ferociously funny novel... The imperturbable malice Admiral Gallery uses to spoof everything from the way the Navy is run to the poverty program is an exercise in risible ingenuity. This is one of the most hilarious sugar coatings over hard core of fact I have read and if it isn't made into a movie or serve as the nucleus for a TV series, there is no justice!" -- Jefferson Parish Times, Metairie, LA

This is a very well written story set in the US Navy of the 1960's. There are fascinating insights into the operation of the Navy -- how aircraft carriers work, how navies are supplied, how spying missions are flown, how American and Russian navies get along on the high seas.

But at a deeper level, it's a story about how the US Navy can be a family to its sailors. The main plot is the hell that Cap'n Fatso can raise, when his fleet abandons him and sails for Vietnam. Intertwined with it is a story about how Cap'n Fatso mentors young sailors, protecting them from harm -- he even sets up a casino, serving beer, so that young marines won't be corrupted by landside attractions.

I enjoyed it.

I love this book! I may buy more for friends. It arrived on time in excellent condition.

Alas, Bernard "Hap" Kliban is gone, but his genius lives on in "Cat", a book of cartoons that captures the personality of the cat as seen by cat lovers. Strangely enough, Kliban was a cartoonist for "Playboy", contributing cartoons for that publication until his death. The cat cartoons were discovered by a "Playboy" editor and the 1975 book "Cat" was born.

Kliban's cats are rotund bug-eyed creatures with a smile on their faces that says the joke is on you. The cartoons include the cats doing nonsensical things as well as performing deeds that you always suspected they might be guilty of as they interact with dogs, mice, people, and in some cases impersonate people. Included among the cartoons is a cat playing a banjo singing a tune of his own making with the lyrics "Love to eat them mousies. Mousie's what I love to eat...". For those that can remember the days when a television was a heat emanating device that invariably attracted napping cats there is a cartoon of a couple sitting in front of a television with a transparent cat standing in front of the screen. Their comments: "We enjoy the television set now that we got ourselves a transparent cat!". Interspersed among the "Kliban cats" are truly beautiful and elegant drawings of Kliban's own real-life cats, to whom he dedicated this book.

If you enjoyed Gary Larson's "Far Side" series and you are a cat lover I'm sure you'll enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

ENGAGEMENT CALENDAR
"Get ready for a year of Cat gluttony and sloth, mayhem and misadventure, and--as always--a fine disregard for the law. (Laws governing physics and animal behavior come in for especially vigorous abuse from these feckless felines, as well as the law Thou Shalt Not Swipe Thy Neighbor's Sushi and that other law, Don't Juggle With Kittens.) ¶ Now in their third decade of worldwide popularity, the Cats show not the slightest sign of starting to behave like adults. Or like small-c cats, either. They will do whatever it takes to send you through 2006 with a smile on your face. Even if it means hugging a big, smug fish. Even if it means taking a bath. Even if it means missing a meal. Well, perhaps not that last one. ¶ 112 page, spiral-bound weekly engagement calendar with 53 reproductions, and clear plastic covers. Size: 6 5/8 by 8". Calendar features 53 weekly grids and full-page 2006 and 2007 yearly grids. Includes international holidays and a page for notes. ISBN 0-7649-3049-4 . . . Other calendars: wall, mini-wall, and 365-day. Additional publications available in our Kliban Gallery."--© Pomegranate

WALL CALENDAR
"The debauch continues. Cats have a go at Abstract Expressionism (and simultaneous inadvertent body art), feed a wild variety of birds from a park bench with nary a thought to their own nominally predatory nature, doze in the soporific vapors of a plate of pasta, and pop furtively and in sizeable numbers from the tall grass at the rustle of a sandwich being unwrapped. Other hi- and low-jinx take place as well. ¶ 13 x 12" wall calendar (opens to 13 x 24") with twelve full-color reproductions. ISBN: 0-7649-3053-2 . . . Other calendars: weekly engagement, mini-wall, and 365-day.Related items available in Kliban Cat Gallery."--© Pomegranate

I bought this book by accident. Well, not really, but I allowed another reviewer to seduce me into buying the new Kliban Cat Calendar and I saw this book listed as well on the calendar's detail page. I saw the words 'anniversary edition' and decided to order it. It was only after I received it that I discovered that seventeenth anniversary of "Cat" was in 1992, two years after Kliban's death. So 2002 is really the 27th anniversary. All that being said, I want to state that this little book would be fantastic no matter what it's age is, or what the age of it's reader is either. I love this book.

There, I've said it, this crusty old man goes all soft hearted when he leafs through a 25 year old book of cat cartoons. As well he should! Kliban captures something entirely different from other feline cartoonists. They aren't kitten cute, nor are they wicked Garfields, as Art Spiegelman points out in his introduction. Instead they are the light hearted chubby denizens of a world of whimsical, good natured self-interest. They relax at the beach, dream of the stars, and steal cheese sandwiched with equal aplomb. They exchange traditional concepts of cat beauty for an enticing comfyness which only a cat lover could understand.

Love is an important and operative word in this little volume. Not one of Kliban's cartoons is made at the expense of cats. Instead, each opens a door to the essential nature of our furry friends, and the non-judgmental affection that they display to those in their circle of trust. A snarl turns into a lick, a meow into a purr and then all is well. Kliban is the only artist I know who has managed to really capture the feline Mona Lisa smile. You know, the one that cats use to melt their owners. Cats forgive with a grace from which us humans could learn a great deal. And Kliban captures it all. Many of the cartoons are not really cartoons, but innocent studies of the artists own cats, drawn with genuine affection.

Art Spiegelmann, artist and author of MAUS, provides a short and delightful introduction to the anniversary edition, and there are 16 pages of Kliban's color work for our further delectation. Everyone who likes cats needs to have this book around. Placed somewhere so that it will fall to hand in those irritating moments when we need to look at cats in order to remember what it is to be human.

This book is my absolute favorite, I have recently decided. My B. Kliban legacy goes back, way back, to my grandmother (we call her "Darling") who fell in love with the Qats back in the seventies (now keep in mind this is not some frumpy old lady. At the time she was the coolest little activist hippie this side of South Street.) Then there's my mother, who, out in San Fransisco around the same time used to roll with laughter at the Cat cartoons with her zany friend.
Enter me. As a kid, I never really understood Kliban--I also didn't have a cat yet. Then I did--first came Serena, then Zubi, and finally Torquil Hevoir James (AKA Booboo Kitty.) And so I loved B. Kliban. And this book is the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. Now that I'm going off to college, I think I'll frame some pages for my dorm room. And place them randomly around the campus. Most people I know who don't have cats really don't get it, but that's okay. I mean, the drawings are beautiful and whacky enough to get anyone. And the concepts--what was this guy on? Catnip, I believe. Whatever the inspiration, Cat is definitely the besties and the greaties.
P.S. I don't actually have this particular edition of the book; I didn't even know it was still in print. I have Darling's hardcover copy from 1976, and I love the cover: "Cat" in huge red letters with two of Kliban's pen-and-ink cats looking at it from below. Beautiful, beautiful.

Charlie Stella is original, and is easily one of my favorite writers. This is NYC-Realism you won't find anywhere else. The characters speak, and you can smell their breath! You haven't heard characters speak to you until you know Stella. All of his books are great to read and learn from. Google his name and check out his site--his Knucksline and Plays are fun to read, but his novels are really the best.

Charlie Stella writes like he has more insight into
this dark world than a "good man" should.
Fabulous dialogue.
Page to page action.
Full of plot twists and double crosses.
A fitting follow-up to "Charlie Opera"
This is his best book so far.

Hopefully, soon, there will come a point where readers won't have to "discover" Charlie Stella because he'll have the recognition he deserves as one of our best crime novelists at work.CHEAPSKATES is a page-turner in the best sense of the word, both funny and suspenseful, with engaging characters, and a wonderfully orchestrated ending. Check out CHEAPSKATES and then go back (if you haven't already)and read EDDIE's WORLD, JIMMY BENCH-PRESS, and CHARLIE OPERA.

One of the more unlikely writers currently making waves in the crime fiction genre is Charlie Stella, who, at first glance, seems more likely to be a character on "The Sopranos" than a dazzlingly gifted novelist.

With his fourth book, "Cheapskates," Stella has combined his playwright's gift for crackling dialogue with another strong, character-driven story that resonates with authenticity and emotion.

Two friends have just gotten out of prison, determined to live life on the straight and narrow. That proves to be almost impossible, though, when the ex-cons run up against the mob and an offshoot of the Nation of Islam. When one of the men is murdered, the other is left to deal with an indifferent police force and find out why.

Stella writes with intelligence and wit, infusing his stories with the reality of the streets and a sly sense of humor. He might just be the best crime writer you've never read.

You know, life really isn't fair. Talented writers - really talented writers - like Charlie Stella languish in back rooms and low shelves while hacks like James Patterson make everybody's bestseller list.

"Cheapskates" is another crime fiction jewel from the wily Stella, a clever and darkly humorous tale of crooked deeds and undying, if misplaced, loyalty. Reese Waters and Peter Rizzo are roommates - roommates at upstate New York's Fishkill penitentiary. Reese has served his time, and upon his release, he promises Rizzo he'll do what he can to recover $50,000 his ex-wife chiseled from him. If the well-meaning Reese thinks he's getting the runaround from the pathologically greedy ex-wife, Janice Barrett and the low-rent New York gangsters her contractor dad and brother hang out with, he finds that life can get really ugly when buddy Rizzo turns up murdered.

What separates "Cheapskates" - and Stella - from the mob is the cast of offbeat characters that breeze through the pages of his novels. There's Jimmy "Wigs" Valentine, the slime ball Mafioso with lots of disguises but zero class. Then you have Micheal Barrett, the sixty-eight year-old self-made millionaire, who is so cheap that he stocks up on day-old and damaged Entenmann's pastry that he eats for breakfast - and lunch - all week long. Or Arlene Belzinger, the tough-as-nails NYPD detective with a body and attitude to match. But the real star here is Janice Barrett, a bitch in every one of the meanest ways the name conjures. A woman so miserable that Rizzo pines, "Sometime I think that if I ever got cancer, I'll run her over on the way to chemo." Combined with her cheapskate father and slacker brother, Stella creates a whole new dimension to the dysfunction family. Couple this cast with Stella's own brand of slick, hip dialogue and you've got some of the most engaging fiction of vice and corruption this side of Elmore Leonard.

So do yourself a favor - get off the well beaten track and get introduced to Charlie Stella. The Goodfellas and Godfathers have never been so entertaining.

I've done a lot of Internet searches for information about spina bifida. This book is the best overall source I've found. I highly recommend this book for parents and caregivers of children with spina bifida. My daughter is now two years old, and I still refer to this resource often.

I purchased this book when my daughter was prenatally diagnosed with Spina Bifida. Since she's been born I have purchased more copies for family members. This book is an excellent resource for parents and loved ones. It teaches about the condition and related concerns in an easy to understand manner. This is by far the best book I have found on Spina Bifida. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is expecting/has a child with Spina Bifida. I would also recommend it for family members and caregivers of children with Spina Bifida.

This book is a wonderful book for anyone who knows of someone dealing with a child or teenager with spina bifida. Its very organized, informative, and even has several photos of kids with spina bifida. I highly recommend it!

I am the nurse practitioner in a spina bifida clinic. I give this book out to all new parents of children with spina bifida. Many of them tell me that they refer to this book often.

This is one of the two books we ordered when we found out that our baby would be born with sb. We have read lots of books since then and still think this is the best. It is very comprehensive, presents the information well, and I have referred to it often over the past 8 months. We ended up purchasing several copies to give to our family members so they would understand what is going on with our son.

Chop, Chop is a great read for anyone with teenagers and a wonderful read for teenagers themselves. This book caught me in the story at the very beginning and held me until the very end. I laughed, I remembered and I cried. I can't wait for my kids to read it.

For me, Chop, Chop started out with ordinay people doing ordinary things, and there seemed an absence of conflict. But such was the case for only the 1st chapter or so. After this I began to care about the characters, conflict was introduced, and the story moved on to show the things I thought plain and ordinary to be exceptional and extraordinary, specifically Laci's steadfast love and Greg's goodness and wisdom (not to mention his hand gestures - these were very, very clever).

The story progresses smoothly and some conflicts are resolved and you begin to think that everything is going to be all right, as it should be. Then a whirlwind of evil arises, and the roots of the story grow deep into your heart and mind to show to what extent we are called to love.

A must read for all teens striving to deepen their faith, maintain pure relationships in dating, and find purpose for their lives. I look forward to reading the next piece of work from L. N. Cronk.

-S. A. Davis

I am a student in one of the author's classes at my school. I was the third person there to read the book. I started it during silent reading time one day when I had nothing else to read, a grave sin, so I smartly swiped it up out of a pile of books sitting near to me, and began to read. (This is allowed, I wasn't stealing.) I couldn't put it down. Afterwards, several other students also read Chop, Chop, and now the book is popular reading at our school.
The story is about a group of kids in high school and how they built a strong and lasting friendship. The book touches on themes of forgiveness, compassion, and loyalty. It made me wish that I had a group of friends like those portrayed in Chop, Chop.

Emotionally absorbed and only a few pages from the end of the book, I couldn't put it down. And yes, the dogs did need to be walked, but I had to finish reading this book. (Don't worry, they held it.)
In the pages of this book live characters that drew me in and made me care about them. It mattered; I had to know what happened next. A smooth read, timely storyline, and simple, profound truths. I read from cover to cover in one day without putting it down. Now, that's a good book.

I was one of the early readers of this book. I found it to be an enjoyable read with a very powerful ending. I think it would have great appeal to teenagers who read it, as it speaks to concerns that they face. Life is not always what we want it to be for adults and teens, but this book shows that difficulties can be overcome. I would recommend this book.