Digital Books

I was so impressed by this book when I checked it out from the library I realized I had to have a copy of my own for those times when problems crop up that drive me toward the deep end. This book does what it claims. Though it won't answer all of your problems (what book would), it's easy to understand and can provide simple solutions to what seem like complex problems. It also gives the reader various references and free helpful programs on-line. I highly recommend it.

OK for the nontechnical XP users. Most of these hints have been published elsewhere but it is a nice collection.

I love the format Steve Bass uses while writing
about computer annoyances. Many of the tips and solutions
can save you frustrations that are always there even in
a minor way because you may not know how to fix them.

This is not the usual boring computer book. Just the opposite.
I'm reading it the second time with a felt tip marker. After reading a chapter I go to my computer, explore, and make changes. I've learned more reading this book than any other computer book I've purchased. And it's written so the average computer user like me can understand.

After slogging through books on W2KPro/XPPro that are painful to read and no help unless your running 100+ PC's this book was a welcome relief in it's smarts,humor,and direct approach to fixing many of the challenges presented by the above mentioned OS's. Having one of my usual sleepless nights I started tallying up all the money I spent trying to keep MS software running,protected from hackers,bots,spyware,virii worms and it's own predisposition to fail and I realize that with an entire industry built around sloppy software as the norm and a gov't asleep at the antitrust wheel we're not likely to see a real improvement any time soon. When you hear words like regulation stifles innovation reach down and make sure you still have your wallet because it's about to be plundered. It's always about the money. If I had to spend another $25 to have this book included in the box that MS/OS came in then I would've saved hundreds on books that did'nt meet my needs and priceless amounts of lost time.

David Stanley manages to inform and create atmosphere concisely and with speed. The reader becomes quickly aware that Kieran has a troubled past and knows that he will soon become entrenched in further entanglement. This novel promises to be tense. With this in mind we are invited to read on.

For those who desire a good book to treat our modern tastes and sense of our physical awareness, our willingness to explore the previously taboo, then David Stanley's Sleeping with Rachel is it. After reading merely the first five pages. I was salivating, wanting to know what secrets lie in the father's grave and more importantly what relationship does Kieran have with his sister. This book tests the definitions of love and far more significantly, its boundaries. It's nice to know that writers are coming into existence that can finally answer the questions of our generation, all grown up in our thirties, yet still the children of our parent's past, present and future. If you liked Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, you will love this book.

The opening chapter of this novel is delivered like a well-aimed blow. We're straight into the narrator's world and his point of view with no time wasted. It's clear from the off that we're embarking on a journey that's going to be far from comfortable and yet alongside that clear intention, compassion and humour are as evident in the opening pages of what promises to be a remarkable piece of work, as the sense of unease at the inevitable impending horrors. That's a really hard balancing act to pull off and the author here seems to manage it with style and with ease. I feel myself starting to (figuratively) put my hands over my eyes and peek through my fingers as this story starts to unfold - like the opening of The Lovely Bones (for example), I realise I'm going to be taken somewhere I really don't want to go but will be compelled by the persuasive style and the compelling plot to stick with Kieran.
The characters are surprisingly well realised in such a short narrative space - something I'm finding rather lacking in many of the other stories in this competition. We already see the contradictions in Kieran's character, doubtless we'll see their roots as the story progresses, the black and slightly bitter humour and his wry, brutal detached observations of his wife show him, even at this early stage, to be a fully realised and meticulously drawn character.
This very solidly crafted opening also introduces several principal interwoven strands of plot simultaneously without any hint of clumsiness or recourse to `techniquey' devices - the gift of a great story teller is to make you forget you're being told a story and simply accept the narrative. In the complex emotional and psychological knot that this novel promises to be, we know from the outset that the various strands will be made of horrors, terrors and all manner of taboos but this opening also promises that these will be tempered with sufficient tenderness and sympathy to prevent the novel becoming black and bleak simply for the sake of it. At least I hope so - I think this writer shows exceptional promise and I hope to read more of their work.

Sleeping with Rachel by D. Stanley opens with a phone call to Kieran Park from his twin sister Lisa. She needs him to come round right away, but won't tell him why.

Subsequently there's a moment of PTSD flashback (dead man on the floor) and an interchange with his wife Shona. These paint some circumstances of Harrison's life: haunted by grisly memories and dispassionate about his marriage.

When he lands up at Lisa's, he suspects something awful--rape or cancer--but she shows him an add for a new housing development. The message is clear: they'll have to dig up their father's remains. This was the moment when my curiosity was truly piqued.

The writing is clean and serves the story well. From Kieran's POV we see a man who appears calm both inside and out (for now) though this wasn't likely the case just a short time before. Both his wife and his sister seem concerned with his stability. The author puts forward this one line to really demonstrate Harrison's awareness of other's thoughts regarding his 'fragile' emotional/psychological state:
~'I imitate a sane person I saw once in a shoe store, causing her to laugh. `I'm fine.''

Overall, I found the story engaging. It attracted and held my attention by presenting enough information to make me curious about Harrison's past and present. I wasn't floored by the writing, but it was good and worked well with the story itself.

An acutely disturbing past, colouring the present in errant shades of internal unrest, governs the lives of Kieran and his twin sister, Lisa, and extends outward to Shona, Kieran's wife.

What childhood shames and atrocities brought the twins to this moment? How close is too close in sibling relationships? Can I empathize with Shona's feelings of always being number two in her husband's life, even if she may not have been a good life-partner choice? Did Kieran sabotage his marriage from the beginning through his damaged history and self? How does Rachel's long-ago death find closure? Why do two supposed adults not see themselves and what they have become, through other's eyes?

David Stanley's excerpt raises dozens of questions that demand answers! There are plenty of gleaned potential twists and turns to this story that urges one into wanting to know the full story! I want to see if all the characters ultimately learn something about themselves and if, in the end, they can finally learn let go of their demons and become emotionally and mentally healthy people. Or not. This is definitely a read that I believe deserves the opportunity to voice itself to the world! Publish this book! ASAP please!

Even if I'm not working in vfx, so I haven't a great experience, I think this book should be in every comps shelf: very simple, well written, it deals with the math under every (even the simplest) operation you can do in your compositing package (it's quite software-indipendent). It explains several wonderful tricks too.
Globally, very useful in my opinion.

Ron goes over the very concepts of compositing that are essential to know in the computer graphics feild. I have bought several copies of this book as the disappear from my desk (no longer kept in public view)

This book is exceptional and a must for anyone pursuing this area of interest. The only disappointment I had in purchasing this item is that it is supposed to come with a CD, and the CD was never shipped to me. What's up, Amazon?

That can I say about Mr Brinkman. Well he's one of the God's of compositing and VFX. Mad about the math behind Node based compositing software, which incidentally is a good thing. This is not meant to be a 'Shake' bible as it is supposed to be non software specific. However it uses 'Shake' language and node naming. This is not a criticism as 'Shake' is the meccano kit of compositing. Understand the mode and the math behind it and you can do anything. I would also assume that this will still be relevant when shake is 'reborn'.

This is also essential for other composing software where the math is hidden. If you've ever considered what happens inside that 'magic button' after you've clicked.

I also think that Steve Wright's 'Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Second Edition' is a must too. Another great book from a great man of VFX.

Having not been personally taught by Mr. Brinkman and Mr Wright these books prove to be the next best thing.

This book is a in depth study of the techniques and technologies involved in the art of compositing. Not sooo technical that no one will understand it, but technical enough that it even explains in detail the algorithms and math used for antialiasing, blurs, the transfer operators like multiply, screen overlay., etc... I am a professional cg artist and highly recommend this book.

Frank, Amy, Jerry, Vince and Alison are some of the quickly developed characters that produce a compelling, fast paced introduction to a horrific viral crisis. This first chapter draws me into a rich mesh of plots and people. I now want to know how the crisis enfolds, its outcome and what about the "warped family picture"?.

This chapter is creative, interesting and well articulated keeping a good flow without hyperbole. The book looks like it will be extremely engaging and entertaining, as well as an easy read. I can't wait to finish it.

Ripple had me at the first paragraph. The story was exhilarating with a fresh and direct literary style.
This riveting pageturner, rich with character development griped me from the start. I anxiously await the
complete story and hope to see it in the theaters soon!

Wow! I like a novel whose first chapter explodes like this one. The fact that it is set in the future makes it even more compelling. The story with a viral evil is new, at least to me, as also is the short fuse of terror time. The novel is exciting, challenging and scary....all important to a mystery novel. I do feel that, like the other reviewers, I can hardly wait to find out about "Dagger" and negotiations, if any.

The elements of this book are intriguing. The President of the United States is human and believable. The subject matter is certainly timely, with a unique twist. I'm not even a mystery and suspense lover, but I can't wait to read the rest of this book.

Although I am not usually drawn to mystery or science fiction literature , "Broken Clock" has grabbed my attention. Deadly viruses, terrorist threats and time travel are topics that have been featured separately in novels that I am aware of but to combine all three is very original. This plot is not only original but terrifying. I will definitely recommend this to my book club and am anxiously waiting to read more!

I was really intrigued by first chapters of Mr. Versaci's book. I'm curious to know what Drew, C-Man and Book could have done to create such fierce enemy as Smarty. Characters are masterfully drawn, a reader takes immediate dislike to the antagonist, who is introduced early enough in the book to picture opposing forces. Personally I would agree with comments of Debbie Wesselmann - it would be easier and more personable to read the book with only one first person's account; however I could also understand Mr. Versaci's objective of creating more of a documental approach by choosing multiple first persons. I really value sense of humour and eloquence of Mr. Versaci's prose, so I'm looking forward to read the whole book!

Green House looks to be a wonderfully told tale of a familiar type: the DC political thriller. Such a structure doesn't admit much tinkering - it's all in the telling and Sid Versaci tells it well with sly humour and a well tuned sense of irony. I think it would make a terrific airplane book.

I'm hooked! Can't wait to read the rest. Interesting, very different characters. So far, a great read.

I like the characters and the story line. I was intrigued by the mystery unfolding from the characters' perspective. I wanted to read on.

Like Jason Bourne on steroids, Sid Versaci's Green House cartwheels into action dealing a hammer fist to the sensibilities within the first 3 pages. Characters are smartly drawn, the prose is taut and the dialog first rate. For those inclined to the "whodunit" genre Green House promises not to disappoint. If the rest of the book is as artful as the first four chapters Mr. Versaci will have no trouble developing a devout readership.

This is a brilliantly original and creative work. Written with pathos and great humor, I was immediately hooked. The author gives us the challenging task of connecting to a quirky, obsessive-compulsive protagonist, and he succeeds in sparking our curiosity, and eventually, our empathy towards Ernest. I loved the use of footnotes: they created a story within a story feeling that really held my interest and added rich layering to the narrative. I laughed out loud many times! I found myself fascinated by the inner workings of Ernest's mind, and wanted to know more about what made him tick. I especially loved the originality of the piece, and appreciated the genuinely good writing! I would love to read other works by this author, and believe he has a legitimate place in the world of literature. This is an author who should be nurtured and supported in his creative endeavors!

To like this book, one has to throw out past ideas of what fiction is. Once you get past that, you get to appreciate what a wonderful book this truly is. The obsessive-compulsive nature of the narrator is very unique and left me laughing all the way. The things he does with his food (sectioning it, forming Eiffel Towers, and various images etc), the way he does his laundry, and the obsessive analysis of every small event in his life makes him one of the nuttiest and funniest character I've read in a long time. Man, are there really guys like that? Great job, Paul.

"The Outcome Trials of Ernest Delune" is the kind of novel I like to read: clever, inventive, original. It captivates through its sheer obsessiveness, because we want to see what oddball conclusions its irrational--but perceptive--narrator is going to make next. Thoughts come and vanish, but then reappear later, showing that the author has a clear grasp on the totality of this project; the threads appear random, but there is a method to the madness. The only difficulty to be discerned from this excerpt is a lingering question about the compassion we as readers will feel for Ernest; his observations are often more clever and clinical than endearing--something that could prove alienating if left to continue without exposing an underlying human side. But already at the end of the excerpt we see a glimpse of Ernest's humanity; his girlfriend Violet is evidently about to establish an ultimatum--one that will force Ernest (hopefully) to emerge out of his obsessive-compulsive mindframe and return to "normal" live (as much as possible, at least). I feel that "The Outcome Trials of Ernest Delune" has all the makings of a very fascinating read--one that I would definitely take home with me from a bookshelf. I only hope that Violet can bring Ernest out of his world, at least somewhat--so that we can meet the man hiding behind his own intriguing façade.

'The Outcome Trials of Ernest Delune' opens with a unique suggestion from the narrator to the reader on how to read the book. The narrator's voice is hilarious as he talks about literary structural collapse (LSC) and suggests ways to avoid it so that his characters are not forced into the world of abandoned books. The prose is very well written and is both erudite and funny.

Ernest comes alive as a unique, interesting character as he solemnly pontificates his many theories on evolution and existence, and describes in detail his obsessive-compulsive personality of food sorting and his occasional need to reduce the world around him into a single 'reduction word' even as he assures the reader that he does not have a disorder. He reminds one of wonderful protagonists in literature like Holden Caulfield, Christopher -the autistic maths prodigy in 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' and Sampath of Kiran Desai's 'Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard' who tries to avoid reality and escape from routine life.

This is one book that is in no danger of LSC - A reader might fan the pages to oblige Ernest (As I tried to do with the PDF excerpt), but is sure to keep on reading till the end. I am looking forward to read this book - The excerpt heralds a literary bestseller.

If I were a literary agent, I would track this Paul Margolis down and pray to god that someone else hadn't snapped him up first. This is the freshest, smartest fiction I've read in a very long time.

While Rebecca Seum could have spun a tale from the sensational aspects of a young woman choosing to become one wife of many in a polygamous marriage, her reserve in tone and style credits the plight of her main character in *Sisterwife*. With careful attention to how her narrator carefully takes us through her journey as one of several wives of Dillon, the restraint of Raina, the young protagonist, resists sensationalism and sentimentality. *Sisterwife* is a novel that in tone resembles the work of Anne Tyler and Jane Smiley, but with a sensitivity that belongs to this author alone.

A modern polygamous marriage? I was immediately intrigued by the premise of "Sisterwife." I can't help but want to be a fly on the wall in the kitchen of Raina's "family" and Seum grants me my wish. The author unfolds Raina's tale in beautifully clear, precise prose, making an extraordinary situation feel both natural and peculiar at the same time.

An intriguing premise -- who wouldn't be interested? This excerpt sets up a story with high potential for drama, emotional depth, and character development, and it's off to a good start. Now it only remains to be seen whether the narrative can build momentum and credibility as the plot unfolds, and not dissolve into sensationalized junk. So far the author has struck a tone that is serious enough, and presented a protagonist who seems sympathetic enough, to hold our interest. That's quite an accomplishment already, since (given the far-fetched premise and the tone of realism here) the moment something doesn't ring true you start to lose your reader.

That said, I wasn't really satisfied by the background story that Raina, the narrator, provides us Chapter 2, about the origins of this polygamous family. Apparently we're meant to accept the reasonable explanations offered as easily as Raina seems to, but it doesn't add up. Raina at one point admits to wondering about "the baser details of their lives" (well, of course, aren't we all?), and asks herself, "Exactly how did three women share one man?" But then these questions are just as quickly dismissed with the statement, "Soon, their marriage didn't seem at all peculiar to me." How could this be, when her (our) most obvious and pressing questions have not been answered? Since the unusual situation tests the story's credibility in the first place, I think it's critical that this chapter do a more convincing job of showing us how these people got there in the first place. The author seems to be trying to tell us that we're not reading about nutcases here, but normal people living in an unconventional arrangement for compelling reasons. If the story that follows is to rest on this assumption, then that foundation needs to be more persuasively established. There are hints of trouble in paradise, as Raina is clearly not comfortable with the rules and regulations of this clan, and the author has her work cut out for her shedding light on how they all got to this strange place. The breezy tale told in Chapter 2 doesn't begin to cover it.

Meanwhile, we're all just waiting to see how this volatile situation explodes -- um, I mean develops. And hopefully alongside the drama there will be insight into the meaning of family and relationships, that could move this story from mere prurient interest to lasting value. The writing style, while natural and clear, is not particularly interesting, and my sense is that the main attraction here is simply the story, not its literary merit.

the writing in and of itself is fairly good... i find the topic interesting. but...

after reading the excerpt, not sure that the story has a fullness to be conveyed. At times, the reading feels a tad redundant or unnecessary; the story seems - to lack purposefulness in how TRUTH is revealed. i'm sure the background elements that are shared in the excerpt feed into the overall plot, but .. the way that its presented, i am completely not interested in why or how.

also, the writer's own voice seems to come off to me as ... timid ... scared. perhaps i am misunderstanding what i've read and this is an element of the main character raina.

Would not read the full book.

The unusual topic of this book drew me in. Even in just a few short pages, the author has created a character with depth. Although I have absolutely nothing in common with Raina, I feel like I can identify with her, and I care about what happens to her. Hoping I get the chance to purchase this book on amazon.com one day and read the rest!

I have only read it once so far. So my rating might change in the future as I spend more quality time reading the book.

I learned very little new things from this book. For me, there is too little statistics/numbers to prove author's observation. I do share the author's opinion on most of the things he wrote. But I wished he gave me more proof.

For instance, on the topic "profit vs wages". The author wrote that all millionaires work for profit, not wages. There is simply no proof or numbers to back this claim.

This book is great! It describes qualities that millionaires possess that the middle class usually do not develop. Some keys to thinking of the millionaire mideset are thinking of their long-term goals, even as far as 10 years out, and working for profits. The authors talks about how millionaires read one book a week, a habit I found to be worthwhile. I find adopting this habit stretches your thinking and takes you beyond what you thought you were capable of. I thought this book was very well-written and exceptionally practical. The author recommends reading this book every month until the principles are ingrained in you.

This is a must read book. I think someone said this in another review, but the book puts basic truths that every person needs to survive in life (at home, with friends, at WORK!, and in business)in plain English. It's so simple, you end up thinking, "Duh...why don't I do that already?" The book forced me to reflect on my life, the way I thought, and how my thoughts affected my behavior. It inspired me to think big and encouraged me to begin to conceptualize my dreams and bring them to reality. Way too often people have great ideas and allow others to discourage them or even worse allow self-doubt to stop them.

I read the book in one day in roughly four hours. I immediately bought the book for my father in the same night. Now my brother is reading it, and a few of my friends have put it on their list of "To-Reads."

I was given this book by my brother. I have already read it twice and given out 6 copies to the other members of my team. The book is a no nonsense easy read. The author gets right to the point. He talks about giving, about goal setting, about personal habits. For example, have you ever noticed what the middle class always talks about, each other! While the rich discuss ideas. These small things we all do day in and day out have an effect on our behavior. Pick up this book. You'll be glad you did.

Good things come in small packages. THE TOP 10 DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN MILLIONAIRES AND THE MIDDLE CLASS by Keith Cameron Smith is just over 100-pages, but contains volumes of life's lessons. Smith lists his top 10 distinctions in reverse order by chapter, in other words, the books starts with chapter 10 and ends with chapter 1.

This is a great little travel book as its compact size and flowing narrative make it perfect for the briefcase or purse and for a short flight or waiting for your meeting. However, you will probably want to do as I do and take notes, so an accompanying spiral notebook will be needed as well.

In reality, if you're a student of self-help type, goal oriented, think and grow rich type books, there no big revelation here. It's basically the same ideas you've heard from Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, Jack Canfield, or even Napoleon Hill for that matter, but Smith gives a superb presentation that is easily digested. If you're not the kind of person to settle into 300+ pages of Awaken the Giant Within or The Power of Focus, but want to learn the same basic principles, this book is right up your alley.

One last thing I would like to comment on, and this goes out particularly to writers. In the little hard-back copy that I have, in the back matter, Smith mentions the "Sabon" typeface that he used for his book. For my old mid-50's diabetic eyes, this was one of the most readable fonts I have ever seen. I highly recommend it. In fact, the overall quality of the hardback book makes it a great little gift.

Sure the program comes with a PDF manual but having a printed reference can make learning so much easier. This is not a book on technique, it's a book on features, functionality and workflow. I primarily use Final Cut Express, thankfully most of the tutorials contained in the book are applicable. There's nothing terribly exciting about the book itself, the information is presented in a no-nonsense fashion. If your looking for anecdotal storytelling, humor and opinion you'd do well to consider another title. I keep it handy at all times, it's saved me a lot of time and frustration...well worth the money.

I like Lynda's personal publications best but anything bearing her title "H.O.T." is worth having. Very practical and useful. Norman Borge

When looking for a book on FCP, I just read the various reviews. Even though some others looked quite interesting, I chose this one and am glad I did. I wanted a specific type of instruction because I have some expert-level chops and ignorance at the same time. I'm new to video but am a professional recording engineer by trade. I'm fully conversant on the Mac and non-linear audio programs so I needed a book that got both completely simple (for video concepts new to me) and also provided some depth at the same time.

The type of instruction in this book is having the user execute step-by-step, starting at the most basic level but progressing into more complex stuff fairly quick.

I forget the wording but there's some Chinese proverb........something like
You tell me, I hear
You show me, I see
I do, I learn

That's me and this book suits my learning style nicely. I'm sure there are other books as good but I doubt that any are better, hard to see how you could go wrong with this one.

I consider myself to be a "seasoned user" of Final Cut Pro. I have been editing with FCP since the original release of version 1.0 and have worked on numerous documentaries, features, commercials and episodic television.

I learned about this book from the Apple website. This is the official textbook used for Apple Pro Certification (FCP Level One). So I decided that I would "forget" everything I already knew and begin with Lesson 1. I'm very happy I adopted that attitude because there are so many neat little tips that I picked up in the first few lessons. Now I wonder how I ever survived without them. Those tips have already saved me a lot of time. I have only completed one-third of the lessons thus far and I can already see an improvement in my productivity.

Every chapter of the book is a "hands-on" lesson. The files and media for each lesson are provided on a DVD-ROM (included). You will first copy those files to your hard drive and then open each lesson file and then follow the step-by-step instructions in the book.

I'm looking forward to getting my Level One certification with the help of this book, and I can't wait to continue onto the Advanced Level certification with the second book.

Please note this is essentially the same book as the the "Final Cut Pro HD" book. The DVD is the same and so are the exercises. I had a chance to compare both and noticed only only one minor detailed (a detail is now circled on a screen shot) and, of course, there could be some that I missed. Even so, the back cover of the HD book acknowledges...

"This book was previously published under the title "Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 4. If you previously purchased this book, there is no need to purchase this revision: All the project files and exercises in the previous edition can be used with Final Cut Pro HD."

Bottom-Line: Newbie or Pro? It doesn't matter! This is a GREAT book to own if you use FCP.

Until I purchased this book, I had owned FCP4 for six months. I had learned my way around the software well enough. I felt comfortable, but not necessarily proficient. In order to improve my editing time, I went ahead and ordered this book, also with the intent of getting my Apple certification, as this is the same text used in their classes. Normally, I am the type that I will skip sections that discuss things that I'm certain I know, but I went ahead and followed every step in the book.
What a difference! Each chapter takes approximately 30-45 minutes to complete, using video clips on the included DVD. After 3 days and 10 chapters, I was hardling touching my trackball. Not only had I learned quite a few shortcuts, but the book helped me understand the editing process itself a little better. I feel that this text is very well laid out, easy to understand, and can be done relatively quickly with a sharp learning curve. I highly recommend this to anyone new to Final Cut Pro. With a little time and effort, you'll be flying around the video editing, the soundtrack design and the Live Type titling package. And, after you have completed this book, go ahead and buy Apple Pro Training Series: Advanced Editing and Finishing Techniques in Final Cut Pro 4, you will not be disappointed.

This is a lively engaging story which captured my interest from the first paragraph. The author has the ability to transition deftly from descriptive passages of place and character to writing extremely natural dialogue. Because of this, the story line moves along swiftly as an entertaining read and peaks my interest to wanting to carry on and learn more. I'm very interested in how he will develop future characters.Creating the world of the Cafe in which they will operate is a rich landscape within which to explore them against an interesting background.
Besides a talent for bringing a place to life, the author has a special talent for dialogue. It flows smoothly and naturally between the two characters as well as the specific descriptions of the various wines and how they are made. I believe these descriptions enhance the story. The author definitely knows his stuff but has the ability to present it in a very knowledgeable yet easily understandable way.In a very limited excerpt, I feel I know who these characters are and the world which they inhabit, both the restaurant and NYC.
I would look forward to see how this story enfolds.

Works for me, DeRochi's book (the 5000 or so words available for free viewing) leaves me longing for more...more of the rich coffee, NY cheesecake, eating pasta dishes street-side, New Yorkers and tourists abound and the wonderful collective smell of New York City. The trash, sirens, rattling taxis and creepy characters I can easily forget, but not the unique cafe or bistro on a New York City side street; tables set, inviting, open. I'd like to read the rest of the book, perhaps it will help me understand the restaurant business better, educate me in the fine art of wine selection but most certainly would love to read the rest of Lionel's adventure in the Big City! Let Cafe Bentley be a winner, it already is for me. Cafe Bentley - Official ABNA Entrant

Very interesting! I am looking forward to reading the entire work.
The short ammount of reading available brought out a real feel of New York City and the many problems facing people and small restaurants.
The characters were very well developed. The reader has the feeling he knows them.
I am not knowledgable regarding the fine points or background of wine, however it appears the author is, and he makes you desire to learn more.
Again, I am anxious to read more from Mr. DeRochi.

I like the way the author,through his character,Lionel,tries to simplify wine for Walter, the owner of Cafe Bentley.I agree with the others who have said that the excerpt reminds them of the movie Sideways. Personally, I learned a lot more about wine in these few pages than I have in the few books I have tried to read.

I sense that Lionel will have his hands full when he meets Scott, the manager. Walter tells us that Scott has been with him since the beginning, and I would imagine that a young Frenchman telling him what a mess he has made of the wine will create an immediate "oil and water" mixture.

I've only met three of the characters but I already have a clear idea of who they are and I look forward to see what happens next. Of the excerpts I've read, this one is my favorite.I would love a quiet corner table at Cafe Bentley where I could enjoy a glass of Pinot Noir and watch this story unfold, but since thats not possible, publish this as I would love to read it, I'll supply the wine!

As I began to read, my mind was instantly transported into the mind of Lionel. The author's descriptive writing is exceptional, and the rest of the story must be a treasure. I can't wait to read the rest.