T Books

Just finished reading it (little hard to find copy) and once again Colin Wilson doesn't disappoint. I'm truly amazed at the amount of research the author put in. Recommended to readers who like true crime.
There are others who have said the same thing but Wilson's perspective makes all the difference.

I bought my initial copy of this book almost 30 years ago. I am drawn to re-read it every four to five years and everytime, am overwhelmed by the effortless blending of research and information into an exceptionably readable style. An academic myself, I know how difficult it is to explain complex ideas in simple terms, so I salute Colin Wilson for his fluid style and readability.

Essentialy, Mr Wilson's argument asks: "Can people be bad?" His discussion and evidence suggests firmly that, yes, people can be; which negates the "Nature Vs Nurture" debate which has raged steadily for so many years. His annecdotal examples support his hypothsis in a believable and compelling manner. I find this a facinating insight into the pychological make up of the distanced person, who views their fellow human almost as an abstract, whilst thinking: "As I am above this, I shall and can, do as I please."

A truly insightful study into the human mind and its depths. Essential reading for anyone who has ever wondered about the fundamental nature of humankind.

if you have ever read anything by colin wilson (certainly youve read "the outsider") then definetly read this book. The things this book can teach us about society and humanity is unparalelled in a 'simple' true crime fashion. One of our centuries greatest philosophers has an intriguing view on many things, yet quite often you will find yourself agreeing with much of what he says about us all.

I had read only one book by Colin Wilson ("The Outsider", of course) when I found a paperback in a used-book store. There followed a month of fairly intense reading, because "A Criminal History of Mankind" is fascinating from beginning to end, and many sections I read over again. Wilson divides the book into three main sections: 1) The Psychology of Human Violence 2) A Criminal Outline of History 3) The Age of Mass Murder. In the first section, Wilson notes that criminal actions have been motivated by the "hierarchy of needs":food, shelter, sex, and the need for admiration. (In recent years, we have seen those who commit murder in order to gain fame.) Wilson describes what he calls the "right man", a sociopath obsessed with image and self-esteem. Most of these people are life's losers, but not all. A startling exception is the successful comic actor Peter Sellers, whose son's biography shows Sellers to have been almost criminal in his manic, morbidly obsessive nature. The second section is, by Wilson's own admission, H.G. Wells' "Outline of History" from a criminal point of view, everything from ancient Athens to Victorian London. Interestingly, Wilson writes: "This book is centrally concerned with crime; but if we ignore the creativity, we shall not only fail to understand the crime: we shall miss the whole point of human history." The third section goes into our own era, the Bundys, the DeSalvos, the Mansons. Wilson spends a full 50 blood-drenched pages on the Mafia. The book, published in 1984, touches only briefly on the disturbing increase of children who kill. Along with the horrors, there are pages of incisive philosophy: "It is true that we cannot live without an ego; a person without an ego is little more than an idiot. Another name for ego is personality, and in artists, saints, and philosophers, the personality is a most valuable tool. Neither St Francis nor Beethoven nor Plato would have achieved much impact without their personalities. But the personality is a dangerous servant, for it has a perpetual hankering to become the master. Every time we are carried away by irritation or indignation, personality has mastered us."Violence will always be with us. A casual glance at yesterday's New York Times finds the coverage of a man who threw his baby from a 15-story window while bickering with his wife. But Wilson ends his riveting book with cautious optimism: Referring to the criminal as a distortion of humanity, he writes (and quotes the German poet Novalis) that when humanity itself is aware that this is only a nightmare, we are close to awakening.

The title is misleading... this is a work far beyond criminal history. It is comprehensive history and philosophical work... it is Colin Wilson at his best... and as always difficult to find but easy to read.

This is a great book for the beginner(which I am) all the way up to advanced. I love the choice of colors that Jan Mullen uses, as well as her ('ish') method. For instance in this book, no 1/4" seam allowance . . . it is 1/4ish" seam allowance. It is fun, and takes on a whole new approach on quilting, no straight lines, everything is 'askew' but ends up a straight square.

Nothing but Fun/bright quilts in here!

I have made 2 of the Milky Wayz quilt from the book and they are so fun and easy. Jan's directions and pictures were very easy to follow. This would be a great technique for a beginner since you don't have to worry so much about matching. The best thing about Jan's method is that the cutting part (which I hate) is much shorter since your pieces are all 4"-ish or 5"-ish and so on. Plus it's fun to just cut at wacky angles and it gives your quilts a quirky fun element. Great for quilts for kids.
I can't wait to make another quilt from the book.

I saw Jan Mullen's booth at a quilt show and was bowled over by her quilts! Her combination of eye opening color and wacky style was a refreshing break from booth after booth of corner-matching, precision cut handiwork. I bought this book on the spot and made two quilt tops the following week! Mullen's instructions are incredibly clear and simple to follow, and though some designs are easier than others, her "stack and whack" method makes for quick piecing. Give it a try and let loose your "wicked wayz"!!!!!

Jan really shows you how to step outside the box. If you ever get the chance, attend one of her seminars if you like colour and attempting something new. She is a great teacher and she also likes purple.

I have owned this book for several years and go back to it all the time for inspiration. I have about 10 quilt books and I use this one the most; the colors and patterns always give me lots of ideas, especially when I find bright and fun fabrics to start with. I also love not having to be so precise with seam allowances during block assembly.

really a great analysis! I had no clue about EU affairs beforehand, now I understand a bit better what is going on. And, I know that the official media outlets would not have helped me to understand what is going on behind the scenes.

I am not a news junkie but I liked the way Ralph T. Niemeyer presented facts in this book. It was quite entertaining although it was about EU finances, politics, strategies etc, which I usually couldn't care less about. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know a bit more about what is going on in our democracies. The author is right: The Information Age is over, the only question is whether it ever existed?!

It's true what other reviewers said: the analysis is unbeatable! I like the facts-based style of the articles and although I am neither an economist nor educated in political sciences I am able to understand complex issues raised by the author. I felt as if my granddad took my hand and explained the world to me without being teacherous.

This is really the best ever analysis of what is really going on! Everyone who is really interested in the present financial crisis after August 11 and the upcoming war against Iran should read this book as it gives a credible account of the strategies and hidden agendas when China let's the Myanmar military dictators shoot at the monks of Burma. One can learn from this book how the West and China fight proxy wars in Africa (Sudan) and Asia (Burma). Read it and spread the word for democracy for all of us is at stake!

Gorgeous! Well done, Ralph T. Niemeyer! You really made someone like me who normally wouldn't care too much about politics read through the whole book in one go and find tears in my eyes, most of them because of laughter, some because the state our society is in makes me sad, but then again, you tell me about it with a twinkle in the eye.

As a person who was not born and raised in West Virginia, Loughry's book was an eye-opener. It takes the reader beyond the flippant comments and sound bites that emerge every political season, to give one a baseline, if you will, of the sordid past of politics in the state. The political shenanigans occur on both sides of the aisle, and some of the strange bedfellows that emerged at various times are truly fascinating.

The book begins with the Kennedy campaign and how a largely Protestant state voted for Kennedy, a Catholic, and changed the balance between Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in a primary season very different from what we see today. Loughry takes us into the inner workings of the political machines, lubricated by money from Joseph Kennedy (who is responsible, verbatim, for the title of the book).

From there the book shifts backwards to the development of political bosses of the distant past and then takes us through to some of the aspects of politics in play to this day.

I cannot verify Loughry's claim that everything he has gathered is verifiable through media excerpts, but I can say that it is a fascinating read that is a must for any armchair politician in the state, and a great read for anyone interested in how our the voting process works or does not work

After having this book recommended to me, I was a bit skeptical, figuring it too dry for my taste, but I was immediately drawn in and had trouble putting it down. Growing up in West Virginia I was startled at how deep the corruption in politics has been and its continuing nature. The book examines corruption itself in a very fair and even manner without attacking any particular group. After reading this, the need for election reform and accountability in public office is obvious. Not just for West Virginia but for the country. I found the book to be interesting, informative, entertaining at times, and very thought provoking. I would recommend it to anyone, whether or not they have an interest in politics. I can even see the value of the book as a required text for high school students because it provides a taste of history that is sometimes buried, along with a plan for the future.

Don't Buy Another Vote....is a wonderful, easy to read, eye-opening book. I think everyone including college students, West Virginians, people that follow politics very closely, and people that just vote should read. It is a very honest look at political corruption with a little humor along the way. Very well written! Go get a copy!!!!

I just finished "Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won't Pay For A Landslide" and find it to be one of the most amazing books I have ever read! I started reading and surprisingly, I couldn't put it down. Being a political junkie I thought I knew just about everything about politics, but this book breaks it down to a much more detailed level in a very comprehensive, yet readable way. The detail is mindboggling, but the conversational style of the author is refreshing.
In all of my years of reading political books and following politics, this is the first time I have ever read a book written in such a non partisan manner. I was skeptical at first because individuals often proclaim to be non partisan and write without bias, but that rarely is ever the case. The author is an equal opportunity offender, but it is clear that he doesn't pick on anybody. Instead, he tells the story of incredible corruption broken down at a state level. It includes amazing information about Mother Jones, the Hatfields and McCoys, the Coal Mine Wars, governors going to jail, a state attorney general hiring hit man to kill one of his deputies, another governor having his wife bribe a juror, a judge who bit the end off of a defendant's nose, and countless other stories. What makes this book different, however, is the that author provides a step-by-step way to fix the system that can be applied to all fifty states. This guy should run for Governor or U.S. Senator because we lack these types of visionaries in state and federal government these days.
This book should be read by everyone with any interest in politics, history, psychology, elections, etc.... I was overwhelmed and have told everyone I know. Every single high school student in America should be given a copy of this book as they graduate. This book changed my life! READ THIS BOOK!!!!

Dr. Allen Loughry's "Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won't Pay for a Landslide" is truly a breath of fresh air in a genre that sorely needed it. Most books written these days about the political arena and the corrupt nature attendant to it are riddled with shortcomings and philosophical pitfalls and, in the end, simply don't deliver. More often than not they serve to advance the agenda of their own writer, and the most painful part of the whole experience is how patently transparent that writer's intentions are. They provide little more than a laundry list of rants by an author perched high atop his/her soap box driven by a far greater concern for hijacking the pages of his/her own publication to simply rail against the establishment. The greater problem with this is how rarely they provide anything substantive in the way of suggested remedies for a very broken and morally bankrupt system that rules the day in American politics.

With "Don't Buy Another Vote" Loughry breaks that mold. His writing is not only to the complete contrary of such a dissatisfying style, but it downright hits home. This is the political narrative that we've all been waiting to read, and it was well worth the wait. Unlike may authors who complain about the proverbial weather without doing anything to change it, Loughry does plenty, or at least he inspires us to do so. Not only does he call nearly 150 years worth of corrupt West Virginia officials out on the carpet for their egregious misdeeds, but he also provides suggestions for the type of reform he feels is necessary to correct this longstanding crisis.

Loughry's "Contract With the Voter" is as innovative and well thought out as it is groundbreaking. Before the smoke settles, don't be surprised if this model for change might very well be adopted as the accepted norm for those seeking office not just in the Mountain State, but in any state. It's prolific in its simplicity and after reading it you'll find yourself saying..."Yes, why can't we implement something like THAT!?" From cover to cover Loughry's message resonates and his voice is true to the mark. A crisp writing style that goes a long way toward walking us through a murky history in which nothing sacred holds. A must read for all of us, irrespective of our own political affiliations. Loughry points out that corruption is not confined to party lines. Neither, for that matter, is the book now chronicling its long and ugly history in West Virginia.

My 85-year-old mother recently fell and severely fractured her hip. Unfortunately, she belongs to a Medicare HMO based in Southern California. Because of the nature of her fracture, she required pinning of her femur, a more extensive procedure than the usual treatment for hip fractures. The HMO which was contractually responsible for her care denied payment to the Skilled Nursisng Facility after l8 days, in spite of written reports from her physical therapists and her doctor detailing the remarkable progress she was making. Thanks to this book, we were able to appeal the HMO's denial, which was immediately again denied by the HMO. The appeal then went on to HCFA for review and the denial was reversed. This has saved my mom thousands of dollars. It should be required reading for anyone involved with HMO's!

Don't Let Your HMO Kill You is an invaluable resource which every family should have. It empowers the consumer to take charge of their and their family's health care. Drs Theodosakis and Feinberg bring both insight and useful advice to help the patient make the most of managed care. From better organizing your doctor's visit to learning how to successfully appeal a denial from your HMO, there is something for everyone in this powerful book.

Read this before you go to the doctor! It explains how to work with your doctors, rather than against them, to get the care you need. It points out why the red tape exists, why the doctors are bound by it, and how the two of you can get around it. This book should be issued to every patient. It will benefit doctors and patients alike.

This book is full of great advice for all of us who have been frustrated by dealing with an HMO. It lays out the reasons why managed care has problems, and then explains in plain language how to get good health care from a system that isn't set up to be patient-friendly. There are really good tips on how to get the most out of your plan. Instead of focusing on what's wrong, Drs Theodosakis and Feinberg tell you what you can do to make it work. They are especially good on telling how to build good relationships with the health professionals that you have to depend on within the HMO system.

As a physician who has dealt with many HMOs, I believe this will become the premier guide for people to get the best care out of whatever system they're using. It is about time someone put all of the secrets and resources in one place. Medicine has changed significantly in the last few years - right under the noses of most patients and doctors. It's caused frustration as quality care has diminished. This book will help you get back in charge. I think it should be given out by insurance plans as a guide to how patients should use the system. Congrats to the authors!

As a manager of about 30 people, I found this book extremely helpful. Some of the things I new before, but didn't really know how to apply them. This is not just a bunch of theory - it's real world.

This is a great book to jog your thinking and uncake your brain so you don't keep doing what you have been doing.

Rinke's sage advice will cause you to think a bit differently and try a few new tricks that will give you an edge in leading and managing your organization.

I particularly liked chapter 10, Don't Have People Work for You and chapter 13, Trust All the People All the Time. These chapters provide great insights and ideas for leading and managing a diverse workforce with plenty of Generation X and Millenium Group associates.

This is the kind of book that does not require great study or a huge reading investment, but provides great reading enjoyment and a big payoff in sound advice.

Dr. Rinke has used a fun approach to outline the necessary skills to improve leadership skills. By taking the backdoor approach he shows you exactly what to do. The book is full of wisdom, examples, techniques and humor. It should be required reading for any manager or leader.

Those words pop off the back cover to entice prospective readers to open the book. Combine that phrase with the subtitle about contrarian ways to improve leadership effectiveness and you begin to gain an idea of what this book is like. Frankly, I wasn't sure if I'd get a laugh a page or serious stuff. Turns out I got both!

Rinke, an experienced executive leader, management consultant, professional speaker, and author presents alternatives to the old saws that populate so many leadership books. Listen to some of the chapter headings: Knowledge is Not Power. Don't Manage People. Don't Be Proud. Don't Have People Work for You. Don't Focus on the Bottom Line. Don't Satisfy Customers. Are you getting the idea that you might be in for an interesting ride?

Each chapter lightly pokes fun at the common belief, though not as obviously as I expected it would. Readers will be surprised at the strong treatment of leadership skills, illustrated with stories that bring them to life. The lessons are presented in a way that holds interest and teaches practicality.

Laugh? This book includes something unique; I have not seen this done before. In each chapter, just before the summary, there is a brief section titled "Smile." Rinke shares a bit of humor with the reader to keep the book light and to demonstrate that leadership should be fun, not laborious.

If you've spent any time in leadership positions, you'll identify with the proverbial advice...and can probably create your own thinking about what Rinke teaches us. You'll spin a paragraph or two before you wonder where to go next. Rinke will be there to take you further down the path to success.

Wolf has contributed much to the fields of management and leadership over many years; this book adds tremendously to that body of knowledge.

"Don't Oil" is a common sense book that is an easy read, but is chock full of info spread over 20 engaging chapters that can be easily consumed.

A must buy for your library.

Callie Webber has come back to her Chesapeake Bay home to relax after working hard for the J.O.S.H.U.A. foundation. However , she ends up investigating another charity, one that helps out troubled women with clothes and accessories to start a new job. Callie is drawn to one of the young women, Shayna and is eager to get her started with her new career. But then Shayna's boyfriend goes missing. Eddie Ray then ends up dead in the trunk of her car. Not believing the rumors that Shayna is a murderer Callie goes to investigate who it really is. The clues she discovers all lead up to finding out that Eddie Ray might have stumbled onto something that he shouldn't have.

This is another wonderful work from Mindy Starns Clark. Callie continues to be a likable heroine, who shows that she can remain calm and cool in heated situations. I also liked that the detective working with Callie was female as well showing that women can domen's jobs. The suspense in this book is excellent, you are kept guessing the whole way through. The reader is introduced to many clues throughout the book, but it is only at the end that you see how they all fit together. This book really makes you guess Tom's identity. At first I was annoyed that he kept ditching Callie and wouldn't offer her any answers to her questions. It was totally understandable why she would be frustrated, angry and why she would resort to snooping. It all came down to a trust issue but I can see why Callie would question Tom when he won't tell her anything. I even thought for a while that the other guy could possibly be Tom, he was a good guy for Callie though at the very least. I liked the references to geocaching, it was really cool to learn more about that activity. Once again this is an superb addition to the series, highly recommended for mystery fans.

This entire series is fantastic! Very suspenseful and addicting, with great characters. Books 4 & 5 were my favorite, and seem to be the most popular among the general population.

What a wonderful book, I couldn't put it down. I spent the weekend on vacation and all I wanted to do was keep reading my book. Some Christian fiction books I read you know the ending by the 3rd chapter but not with Mindy Starns Clark. I didn't realize this was a series at first so I started with this book but I'm going back and getting the first one, A Penny for Your Thoughts. Wonderful writing, and I've read a lot of Christian Fiction.

"Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels" was the first book I've read by author Mindy Starns Clark, and this book turned out to be a dandy thriller. This is the second book in Ms. Starn's Million Dollar Mystery series. The first few chapters were a bit slow to get into the story, but by Chapter Five I was hooked on Callie Webber, the fresh, witty heroine of this series and the other wonderful characters inhabiting her Chesapeake Bay world.

Callie is a thirty-something widowed private investigator who has moved to the tranquil Chesapeake Bay area to start a new life after the tragic death of her husband in a boating accident. Callie has a new job as an investigator for a philantropic organization called J.O.S.H.U.A., where her responsibility is to investigate charitable groups who have applied for grant money. During a brief hiatus between assignment for J.O.S.H.U.A., Callie is doing a bit of volunteer work on her own with a local charity that helps collect career-type clothing for impoverished women. In the course of this work, Callie befriends a recovering drug addict named Shayna Greer, who suddenly finds herself accused of the murder of her boyfriend Eddie Ray. Shayna turns to Callie for help in proving her innocence, and Callie finds herself driven to find the real murderer. There are many plot turns in the story, and my the second half of the book, the suspense level is very high! Author Clark is known for her inspirational Christian writing, and while at first I was surprised with the Christian references, I found myself liking this strong, god-fearing protagonist very much.

Callie also finds herself flirting with her good-looking neighbor Kirby Collins, while also being attracted to her mysterious boss at the J.O.S.H.U.A. foundation, Tom.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading the other offerings in this great series!

When Callie Webber is in her home town on the Chesapeake, she volunteers with Advancing Attire, a non-profit that helps poor women get started in office jobs, mainly by providing appropriate clothes. Callie's latest client is Shayna. When Shayna calls that afternoon, she's upset because her boyfriend, Eddie, is missing. When they do find Eddie, he's dead in the trunk of Shayna's car. Now Callie's unexpected week off has become quite full. With the police naturally focusing their attention on Shayna, Callie must find evidence that proves this young woman is innocent. When she does find something, it leads her to something she never would have imagined, and more danger then she can handle alone. Meanwhile, Callie is also investigating a national non-profit that claims it will help Advancing Attire expand its office space. And she' trying to deal with disappointment from not getting to meet her mysterious boss, Tom.

Like the first book, this one starts slow. It steadily gains speed and by the climax, it's impossible to put down. Even before then, the writing style draws the reader in and makes it easy to get caught up in the story and sub-plots. Callie really grows in this book as she is forced to face the isolation she's placed herself in after the death of her husband. And, while I saw the final scene coming long before I got there, I couldn't help but smile as I read it.

I am quite taken with this series and will be reading book three as soon as I can get my hands on it.

We received Don't Wake the Baby when my daughter was 2 and we immediately bought Wake Up Sleeping Beauty as well. My daughter still loves these books -- she is now 5 -- and my now 2 year old daughter asks to read them over and over again. The books are so charming, that my husband and I don't mind!

This is a book with tabs on each page which causes the characters to move and accompanying sounds to occur. The storylines are funny, the movements are imaginative, and the sounds are terrific. The only problem is that it's easy for little fingers to tear the tabs and pages with their enthusiasm or, in our case, sheer repetition, even though the pages are heavy stock.

My daughters loved this book and we read it until the batteries wore out. It's really cute and unusual with great sound effects.

My 18 month old daughter received this as a Christmas gift from her Grandparents and absolutely loves reading it with Dad and Mom or on her own. She loves to pull the tabs and surprisingly enough after several months of abuse, it still works. I'm purchasing another copy so her brother has a chance to read this great book!

This book is great! I first got one for my daughter when she was about 2 (and a real Daddy's girl!). She loved it so much she'd go to sleep with it! The pull-tabs are pretty easy to move, even for her, but most of the time I have to do it for her and help her resist the temptation of tearing away at the parts that stand out. Well, having been somewhat unsuccessful in doing that, we now have to get a second copy for her little brother! But not until after we wore out the battary in the book first!

My baby boy Emre, loved this book since he was 12 months old. Now he is 16 months old and he is still crazy about it. When I take this book out, he gets involved in it for at least half an hour. Nothing else can do that. He imitates the sounds and loves to pull the tabs. Of course the figures got pretty damaged with such pulling and tearing but still it works. And the book is quite good in making the mother role an independent one, and making the father the care taker at home, at least for one night.
I deinitely recommend it.

There is no such thing as a bad Ross MacDonald novel, but while this is good, it isn't typical of his best work. MacDonald's Lew Archer novels are correctly judged to be the great successor works to the great stories and novels of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Together the three writers constitute the Great Triumvirate of the American hardboiled school. While MacDonald doesn't write prose quite as brilliant or memorable as his two predecessors, he created characters of greater depth and complexity. He also wrote a larger quantity of great novels than either Hammett or Chandler.

Despite all this, THE DROWNING POOL does not stand out very far from what Hammett and Chandler had achieved and it did not really put on display MacDonald's later innovations. If there is a theme running through MacDonald's best books like THE CHILL or THE INSTANT ENEMY or THE MOVING TARGET is it this: "The sins of the fathers will be visited unto the second and third generations." In almost all of his mature novels Lew Archer starts off investigating some incident in the present that ends up having roots 20 or 30 or 40 years earlier. His novels always puts me in mind of Yeats's "Leda and the Swan," where the rape of Leda by Zeus in the form of a swan inevitably leads to the tragedy of the Trojan war: "A shudder in the loins engenders there/The broken wall, the burning roof and tower/And Agamemnon dead." There is an intricate causality in the Archer novels. Things happen not because of anything happening right here and now, but in almost foreordained fashion because of actions in a previous generation. THE DROWNING POOL has a smidgen of this, but not much. The causality developed here is the later view of causality in embryonic form.

The amazing thing is that even though this is not quite as breathtaking as later MacDonald novels, it is still absolutely first rate. Ironically, this is one of his best-known novels, even if it isn't one of his very best. The reason is easy to identify: it was made into a movie starring Paul Newman. In fact, though MacDonald is clearly one of the Big Three hardboiled writers, unlike Hammett and Chandler -- both of whose novels have been turned into several great films -- MacDonald's books simply do not lend themselves to conversion to movies. Paul Newman did play Lew Archer as Harper in two movies, but they were not of the same quality as the best films based on Hammett and Chandler books. HARPER was a film version of THE MOVING TARGET, so both the title and the main character underwent a name change. Unbelievably, MacDonald's best book -- and one of the two or three greatest hardboiled novels ever written -- THE CHILL has never been made into a movie. The film that is closest to the world of Lew Archer has no connection to any novel by MacDonald, Roman Polanski's CHINATOWN, which is much closer to MacDonald in spirit than to either Hammett or Chandler.

Still, this is must read MacDonald. His books would get better, but that isn't to say that this isn't a good, even a great, novel.

Of all the classic heroes in hard-boiled fiction (Spade, Marlowe, etc.) I've always found Lew Archer to be my favorite. Maybe it's because MacDonald does such a superlative job illustrating Archer's flaws, doubts and shortcomings. Rather than some iron-jawed superhero, he's a compellingly complex person whose battered conscience ultimately makes him more heroic. Many readers consider The Drowning Pool to be the best Archer book and it's hard to argue that contention. If pressed, I might rank The Way Some People Die just a little bit higher, but both books are so good it's stupid to quibble. I haven't read The Barbarous Coast yet, but look forward to diving in soon.. and afterward I might have to revise my opinion regarding Archer's best case once again.

A different Lew Archer here than THE BLUE HAMMER Lew Archer. The tone is in TDP is more gritty and hardboiled. Lew is less the romantic toward the ladies he meets. I like Macdonalds' writing in TDP. A less polished and more direct style has its appeal. There's less psychological development of the characters, more emphasis on plot.

I hesitate to call this a classic because some people consider "classics" as dull and out-dated. And there's nothing dull or out-dated here (well, maybe that paying $10 to be driven from Las Vegas to L. A. is a bit out of date).

Archer's hired to discover who sent his client's husband a letter accusing her of infidelity. Introduced to the family and friends at a party as a Hollywood agent, he is sensitive to the growing tension and explosive atmosphere. The reader knows of course that somebody's going to be murdered, but these early chapters are among the most skillfully written to build suspense that I've ever read.

Written in 1950, the inclusion of a homosexual couple was quite daring although there is not graphic description, and isn't significant enough a factor of the plot to either offend or attract a reader.

Read this and I'm sure you'll find it on your own list of crime classics.

In this skillfully written tale of murder and intrigue, Ross MacDonald manages to "out Chandler" Raymond Chandler. It's Southern California, circa 1950, and hardboiled detective Lew Archer finds himself traversing the same landscapes Chandler's Philip Marlowe does in The Big Sleep, High Window and The Long Goodbye.
The plot of The Drowning Pool is complex enough to be interesting without being convoluted or forced. Greed, blackmail, homosexuality and family dysfunction all play roles in advancing the nicely paced narrative. Thrown in for good measure are seductive women, a number of action scenes and a Lolita like teenager named Cathy.
MacDonald's very descriptive prose is quite effective. And there's plenty of memorable dialogue. My personal favorite: "Your reminiscences fascinate me. May I take notes?"
You'd be hard pressed to find a more satisfying example of noir crime writing. An enthusiastic 5 stars.

If you want to know everything about the book of Ephesians; if you want to know almost everything of significance others have said about each verse in the book of Ephesians - this is the commentary for you. At least some knowledge of Greek is needed to follow all that is said - but even without it there is much to be gained in the use of this commentary. He lays out the various views of each word or phrase and then gives the reason why he takes the view that he does. Hoehner writes in clear modern English and is easy to follow especially for such a technical work as this.

As a seminary student, I really enjoy this book. If you want to know more about Ephesian, take this one. Another commentary of Ephesian I strongly recommend is the one who wrote by Peter O'Brien. I compare both books, if I need to pick one, I will pick this one instead of Peter's one. This one is much more critical than Peter's. Anyway, I prefer to own both books if you have time to read them all.

This is the only book that has so thoroughly exceeded my expectations and publishing hype that it deserves a greater-than-5 star-rating.

Dr. Harold Hoehner received his PhD from Cambridge University, and taught NT Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary for over 30 years.

Dr. Hoehner begins with a detailed introduction (131 pages) treating the authorship, history, purpose and theology. He then gives a comprehensive bibliography of authorship that provides sources for both conservative and liberal thought. This discussion of both conservative and liberal theologies continues throughout the work.

The book is set up to deal with each verse, and sometime phrase, individually, and in detail. The phrase 'no stone unturned' comes to mind. Each verse is given in NA27 or UBS4 (vast majority NA27) and then translated. His reliance on Scripture is wide-ranging and not restricted to a single translation. An understanding of Greek is needed to fully benefit from this writing, as the Greek is not rendered in cognates. Throughout the book are eight 'Excurses' dealing more topically, yet more in depth with specific issues in Ephesians such as: the textual issues of Eph 1:1, 'In Christ,' Election, and rules of Christian households. These deal with the full theological context of Scripture rather than dealing solely with Ephesians, and help to give more understanding for some of the more important ideas in this book. Two indices round out the book: an author index and a Scripture index.

Dr. Hoehner reaches into all of Scripture to discuss Ephesians in depth. His conclusions reflect conservative, evangelical teaching, with solid, thorough evidence and theological scholarship. Another aspect of his writing is inclusion of theology discussed by the early church fathers such as Ignatius and Clement, although he only uses instances where these authors support Scripture.

This commentary should reside on the shelves of all theologians, exegetical pastors and seminary students. This book is not directed towards lay-persons, unless a full understanding of Greek is present. Dr. Hoehner writing is supremely valuable, enveloping modern scholarship, full disclosure of major theological arguments and solid, conservative evangelicalism. I wish all the commentaries on my shelf were this well written and researched.

This is an outstanding commentary on Ephesians, and ranks as 2nd best in my judgment. Hoehner's real contributions are his clarity and his thoroughness. His handling of the Greek text is thorough, and his weighing of different interpretive options is usually pretty even-handed and fair (though occasionally I think he falls down on the wrong side of an issue or is overly dogmatic). His organization is exceptional, as he breaks everything down into easy to follow, logical outlines. For a critical commentary, this is amazingly helpful homiletically! His writing style is lucid and clear (I love how he regularly summarizes his arguments and position in the final paragraph on a pericope). His theological stance is Evangelical and conservative, although sometimes a bit one-dimensional (especially when he pigeon-holes a passage into his theological system - dispensationalism. But this doesn't interfere with the quality of the commentary very often). Hoehner also probably gives the most robust defense of Pauline authorship of Ephesians of any commentary (over 100 pages!). This is a lengthy commentary on Ephesians (over 900 pages), but well worth the purchase. As I've preached through Ephesians over the past two years, I've benefited from Hoehner in many ways, and have read almost all of the book. I would easily recommend him as one of the top three commentators on the book, though I'd slightly prefer Peter O'Brien, who writes with more depth with a keen eye for biblical theology. Really, the two commentaries complement one another and should be read together. All in all, this commentary is outstanding! Anyone preaching through Ephesians expositionally will definitely want to purchase it.

A very strong and solid exegetical treatment of Ephesians. Mostly based upon my own theological presuppositions verses Hoehner's, I cannot agree with all of his hermeneutical movements from text to theology (e.g., I do not agree with his overall ecclesiology - especially in his readings of Ephesians 1). It is most beneficial to read this along with W. Klein's "The New Chosen People" for a more rounded approach to understanding election as a corporate concept. That is to say that one may or may not take election to mean predestination (decide for yourself), but Paul does not seem to be addressing that issue in the context of a community letter written to discuss community identity and practice.

Technically challenging on many linguistic-textual aspects, yet a good research commentary. Each section is very well outlined and presented with a clear translation by the author (most of which are quite agreeable, some wording and phrasing perhaps questionable), and bears the marks of a scholar at the top of his game. This is a commentary many years in the making and shows a command of Paul's letter and overall theology. Background and historical issues are presented appropriately and coherently as well.

As a "top tier" work, this is a must-have for those interested in Ephesians.