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Everyone including me has been waiting for Dean to get back to what he does best: thrillers that are long chase scenes. Well, he's back in form, amen!
I don't think he has hit the bull's eye since Intensity with this kind of suspense and a sadistic killer that shocks you with every chapter, and were we get deep into his sick twisted brain.
But most of all, MR.KOONTZ thanks for going back to the Screw Ball Comedy.
You nailed it in TICK TOCK and once again here. I just wish once you could make the male lead more of a sophisticated Cary Grant type, rather than your typical take on the everyman: mason, cook, gardener, and painter who is caught up in the chase and running to save the girl.
You even threw in the classic Hitchcock happenstance mistaken identity gambit,wonderful. Why couldn't he be an ad man or a prof or a salesman for a change.
Loved the heroine,too. And the garage as part of the kitchen was the icing on the cake. You tell us up front. LOOK OUT screw ball insanity abounds.
If you like Dean's work you have to read this one!

It's a quick enough read, but the reasons for the murder-for-hire turn out to be so ridiculously over the top, I ended up laughing out loud at Dean Koontz's novel. This was the first book I read by this author (whose popularity baffles me) and it will likely be the last.

I have read most of Koontz' books, liked "The Husband," but this one beats it. No supernatural stuff, just a plain old thriller that really is funny, intriguing and a fast read. The underlying spook-FBI conspiracy premise may not be new, but... as in other Koontz works, the characters make the book. The good guys (and girls) are blends of those we have met in the past, lovable AND believable, once you figure out the whole story, battling one of the most eccentric neurotic/psychotic villains in fiction. For animal lovers though, no dog hero (sorry). As for the ending, had me guessing all the way through. Koontz is definitely on track with this book and hope to see more like them, with or with out the ghosts. Take it to the beach!

Yes, spoilers ahead!


+++


First, of the good, for The Good Guy. I liked Tim. I liked Linda. Their back and forth was one of my favorite things of the book. Pete and Zoey - gotta have a dog don't we? His mom. His pilot. His bartender. Everyone was likable. The chase was pretty good. One of the best cat and mice things I've read. Clipped along at a great pace. Very good!

And then there's The Bad Guy.

He was strange. And violent. And has no memory before the age of eighteen. Why? Don't ask. You'll never know. (Okay, he chose to lose his memory - moving along).

Yes, Dean Koontz is still one of my favorite authors. And yes, I couldn't put The Good Guy down. No red herrings - of the good! Definitely.

How'd The Bad Guy find them? Oh! Answered!

How'd The Good Guy and The Good Girl get away this time? Oh! Answered.

Nothing along those lines were left hanging. It was asked, answered, and even made sense.

Of the bad, the ending just killed me again! It suffers from The Darkest Evening of the Year syndrome. The closer the conclusion came the more I dreaded what was going to happen. And it happened! No!

But alas, yes.

It was a cop out to me. Too tidy. Again.

And I wanted to know more about the killer.

Linda and Tim's secrets were okay. Tim's far better than Linda's. What is it with the dogs? Dean's writing has changed since Trixie has gone on, and I get that, but jeepers. Abused kids. Euthanized dogs. Just Leave.It.Alone. Please.

It wasn't enough that Linda lost both of her parents and her dog. She had to be abused as well. Little much for me.

Personally, I was right there with Tim all the way until the ending, like I stated earlier. "Don't do it!" He did it. I wasn't happy.

So, that's why there's a three for this one. It kept me interested. I liked the characters. I liked the pacing.

The plot? Meh? The ending? Double meh.

This book was great, i could not put it down from the time i got it in the mail. I suggest this book for anyone was loves a ride.

i have read some of the responses to this book...Women who see themselves as only a mother and not a women as well, can't get this book. All the characters are three-dimensional representations of very different women. I recommend this book for anyone not trapped in the fifties "perfect life" scenario. This complex book is great fiction with a feminist undertone.

This book is a must read for anyone who is even remotely interested in how far we, as a society, have come in the struggle for equality. And how far we still have to go. From anger to joy to sadness to laughter and back again, this book dredges up all of these emotions.

The characters are pleasant, and there are so many that it's hard not to identify with at least one of them. Unfortunately, it's also hard to mix them up, which makes the reading experience less pleasant. I could hardly keep track of all the bland characters of the 50's. But not to worry, it gets much easier once we arrive in the 70's, where the characters are much more colorful, and easier to follow.

Which, in itself, shows us the large differences between these times.

Love and sorrow, hope and reconciliation. This book has it. Read it, it just might change a tiny bit of your life. It can, and probably will, open the way for a deeper exploration in the past of feminism and gender-equality.

I read Women's Room in the late seventies, when the issues about which the author speaks were current and deeply felt. At the time, I didn't know a single woman who wan't blown away(intended reference) by the author's ability to connect with her inner fury. The memory of the intensity of my response remains with me today.

I would invite today's reader to imagine the social and political climate of the times before passing too harsh a judgement on the work. The realization of women's and civil rights didn't happen as a result of a single event. It was an on-going struggle that took place during an equally frustrating, long term social initiative to end the war in Vietnam. Everyone new somebody who had been lost. To whatever degree people were for or against the war, everyone shared a deep sense of frustration about the resulting national divide. In those angry times, Women's Room was a literary lightening rod to ground.

For all the "Surrendeded Wife" types who think women should go back to being submissive, this book shows what it was really like. Ideally, people think of traditional roles as being protective and chivalrous toward women, but in the book, chivalry has nothing to do with it, and women are shown as being used- they do all the chores, they are told what to do, they are neglected (a lot of the ways the husbands treat their wives are now considered abuse), and finally, many of them live in poverty when their husbands find someone else. I think this is true of a lot of traditional societies- the ideal is protection, but the reality is different.

This book really shows the story of not one generation but two. Mira comes of age in the 50s and she ends up being a homemaker. I got an in-depth look at the lives of housewives. It showed that there were some joys in that life, but it also described the problems that people tried to keep under the surface. I am sure that there were also plenty of relationships that were better than the ones in this book, and there are plenty of women who were happy back then, but the problem is the insistence that every woman should be like this and only this.

Gender roles are of course based on biological differences, and in a few places this book lashes out not only at society, but at nature. The problem is that the roles apply even when the biological differences are flexible, and biology is used as an excuse to put both men and women into inflexible molds. The book shows that gender roles effect both sexes and the men in this book have problems of their own- for instance not being close to anyone in their own households.

But after getting divorced, Mira goes to college in the 60s and experiences the turbulence of that time period. I really liked Mira as a character and was happy to see her growth as a person. Her divorce was certainly for the better. I also liked her interaction with her sons. I also loved her closeness with her friends. The group of friends puts friendship at a higher priority than most people do, even daydreaming about living together as friends. This reminds me of the friendships that I used to have and the way I felt about them.

At first I thought that maybe men could read it, but I'm sure their reaction would be similar to my reaction to Omar Tyree. The only difference is, the author of this book at least showed why her characters grew to hate men. Early on, anger toward men or whites was understandable, but after establishing more rights and equality, it usually is counter-productive and just causes backlash. Of course, there is usually backlash even before full equality has been achieved.

I don't feel the same way that most of the characters end up feeling, and that's a good thing. This book can show you how many changes have occurred in a few decades, and can remind you not to take it for granted. Many women are in charge of their own lives and are excelling in their careers. Sexism sometimes effects men and in some cases it is in women's favor. Both women and men have progressed in the past decades. In my life I have been angry toward womankind as well as mankind.

But then, in some areas sexism is still abundant, and women still have to worry about sexual assault (more than men do). And early on, when Mira got married, she describes the feeling that it's the easy way out and it will keep her from having to make decisions about her life, it reminded me of me a lot.

For the whole book I was wondering who the narrator was. Her monologues were very cerebral and they were probably the part I liked least about the book. At the end of the book, Val comes to believe that all men are rapists, but that seemed more like her reaction as a character and not necessarily the author's opinion. The book makes men to be the problem, but in my experience, women are treacherous to each other and there are also plenty of decent men that get treated badly. There is maybe one example of women's backstabbing (Bliss) and maybe Martha was the woman who treated her husband badly, but mainly the book focuses on society being stacked up against women, showing every character being victimized in some way by a man, covering every possibility almost like it's from a checklist. Also, even the men that seemed decent ended up being a disappointment in the end, with the exception of Mira's sons.

Well, I guess that's a pretty big criticism for a 5 star rating, but I still really liked this book. It brings to light the similarities and differences between then and now. It has some wonderful characters and shows a lot of different points of view and thought patterns. It was very in-depth and I was totally engrossed in it.

The hype for this book promises that it will change your life. Well, mine is still travelling along quite merrily and nothing this book had to say has any impact on it. This is probably due to changing times and approaches to feminism.

The Women's Room focuses on some women who meet at university and explores their lives and loves. One thing that bugged me throughout is that the narrator (whose identity is never revealed) throws in monologue chapters that can be a little tedious. These chapters seem to be excuses to get up on a soapbox, but almost as though she is unsure of her reception, she "uses" the captive audience that is reading about the lives of a bunch of women to bang on about things that can be downright boring.

I couldn't relate to the characters. Mira, the central figure, is supposedly influenced by her upbringing, but her real problem appears to be that she has no self esteem. It wouldn't really matter what decade she was born in. Although, to her credit, she does seem to develop some right at the end. Half the characters turn to lesbianism at some point or other, which just seemed cliched.

There are references to events that I know nothing about. This further distanced me from the plot. The references appear to be things that all readers should automatically know about (that's the way it came across) and I couldn't figure out whether I was too young, too geographically removed (I'm in Australia) or whether they were figments of the author's imagination. I gave up trying to figure it out.

All in all, I didn't find this earth shattering and I wouldn't bother reading it again. If it was ever "life changing", it isn't now - not for me, anyway.

The book is really good. This is one book you don't want to get rid off?

I ordered this book because of a course that I am taking. It is a much needed book and I am learning alot about business. I would fail the course without it.

This book was delivered before the expected due date and was in great condition and a lot cheaper than the college book stores.

I brought this book to study for the PHR exam and to have as a resource. I self-studied for the exam with this book and the PHR/SPHR Professional in Human Resources Certification. I recommend them both. It is laid out really well - with good charts, examples, and listing many websites to use for resources. I also like that the terms and definitions were listed in bold on this side of the pages. It is a good resource to have at the office.

There's a reason this book is a standard in the field. It explains both fact and theory, in just enough depth, to support HR generalist efforts. The current edition -- for those of us who haven't seen the inside of a school for quite a few years -- features on-line resources that are particularly useful in work situations. Call it a textbook for OJT.

This book is a decent overall, 1000 ft view of options for acquiring inventory to sell on eBay. It presents the 'you should consider' rather than the 'step one, step two', which is fair seeing that no one answer can fit all.

Granted, this wasn't intended to give you a list of manufacturers, wholesalers, or even a comprehensive list of online services; but just when you think something tangible (as opposed to purely conceptual) is about to appear on the next page, you get a 'not within the scope of this book' or 'buy our other book XYZ for that info' Also be warned of the DOBA ads threaded throughout this book (one of the authors is the CEO)

One 'tangible' piece of info I couldve used is in the area of importing. The book goes into the general process of working with manufacturers and wholesalers. You'd think getting the inventory is a considerable aspect of managing inventory, however the book simply recommends contacting a customs broker and stops. Then points to another one of their books for $24.95.

On top of it all, there had to have been at least 50 pages in this book created out of pure repetition. There were a number of places I thought I had reread, only to notice it had been covered multiple times. The unorthodox organization of the book helped lead to this, fat margins, etc, but I'm sure its no accident..a 250 pager sells more copies.

Decent book, but not well executed. I definitely will not consider any other publication in the series.

Having read other books in the "eBay the Smart Way" series, I knew that this would be an easy read.

I've sourced product for my eBay business several different ways, and Sinclair & Hanks lay the business out plain and simple in a very easy-to-understand manner.

As a businessman, I'm always on the lookout for new and viable product sources. But when you discover something new, you don't ever want to go in looking like the "new kid on the block." This book will give you the knowledge needed to help prevent that, and stave off the first time jitters so you can investigate new sources with confidence.

I expect this book will be one that I find myself referring to often.

I found this book to be an extremely useful resource. It is an easy read and walks you through every aspect of finding the right supply for your business. I would recommend the book to every small business owner.

This book is amazing due to one reason and one reason alone...Simplicity...it doesn't attempt to overstate the obvious or reinvent the wheel...it teaches you in simple terms how to effectively sell online and make money...that's it...fast and simple.

All the sources show in this book are easily found in website and those sources are not really will help you maximize your profit because most of the sources you need to pay monthly fees. Better think twice when you purchase this book, I already waste my time and money to own this book. Good luck on you

I've tried and failed at many diets as most people have. This book truly taught me how to eat well by the author's unique structure of the book. The various chapters give you affirmations, testimonials, quotes, research, exercises, even recipes. Many times I felt I had read similar information in previous sections of the book and I had! I think that is important. Repetition is the best learning tool. The more you read it, the better you retain it.

By the time I finished reading this book, I was no longer scared about dieting. I began using the information I had learned, occasionally returning to the book to confirm something I was unsure of. I have even tried several of the recipes which proved to be very tasty! Next thing I knew, I was no longer ON A DIET ... I had changed my lifestyle completely.

That's mainly what I want to say about this book. It changes your life, which is what we ALL need to become healthy eaters. A healthy eater is a healthy person. The weight loss is just the natural benefit that comes with it.

By the way, I lost 20 lbs. in 6 months. My exercise program consists of walking 1.5 miles and doing 100 stomach crunches a day.

I thought this was a wonderful book. It is tailored especially for women. It explains that one of the reasons we gain weight as we age is because we become more and more sedentary and lose muscle mass. If we do a moderate weight program, we can at least stop the loss of muscle and maybe make up for what we lost.

I am down 11 pounds since June. I walk/run for 30 minutes a day as many days as I can. I try to work in a weight regime at least two times a week.

I highly recommend this book as the last word on fitness!

It is a bit too soon for me to report enviable weight loss or the establishment of new, taut muscles. But I am convinced that by following the reasonable and practical tips and strategies in Fat To Firm, I shall reach my goals in time. And that is what is so refreshing about this book: it is not at all gimmicky, promising the sun, moon and stars, not to mention a Claudia Schiffer body. This book is an excellent antidote to all those unrealistic, often impossible, weight-loss programs and fad diets. In truth, it appears that most books out there could be called faddish. Not so this book.

If you are just beginning a weight-loss and fitness program, or would like to, but still don't have the confidence and courage, this is a good book to begin with. There are numerous inspiring stories--from real women, who demonstrate that goals CAN be met if one is consistent, determined, and flexible. There are good introductions to various forms of exercise, which would help someone who isn't quite sure where or how to begin, what exercise would suit best. There are many many tips on how to incorporate more activity into one's daily routines, in addition to regular exercise. My favorite: doing squats or calf raises while doing the dishes or cutting vegetables.

My one disappointment was that there was not more assistance in the actual planning of meals or menus (in addition to a somewhat small list of recipes). However, this deficiency could be supplemented with an additional book or two--including a more thorough cookbook--but one must be prepared to do some serious searching to avoid fads or nutritionally unsound eating plans.

I would recommend this book to the woman who is just beginning, or wants to begin, a new, more healthful lifestyle, a combination of better eating habits and more physical activity. This book is a good, encouraging accessory to a more healthful life.

This book is a total rehash of information that anyone with a weight problem who has attempted to do anything about it would already know. The book is repetitive and tedious. You must wade through 150+ of obvious information before the unoriginal diet plan is presented. The one redeeming aspect of the book is the excercise suggestion. There are useful tips on getting started excercising and a well-structured body sculpting program using free weights. But this alone is not worth the price of the book.

All you need is to act upon it. It's not so much that the material is new but the presentation is easy and the table of contents is set up with a great breakdown so the reader can access the information easily without wading through more than a body may want to read.

Not that it is not all important but sometimes you may just need more info on a particular part of your plan. Each chapter in the table of contents has a sentence or two telling you exactly what you will find there. The sections are broken down with subtitles to add to that ease. They couldn't make it easier.

I found this book very inspirational, as well as helpful. It is a book to guide you and get you on track, most important of all it will help you to stay there. Kelsana 12/10/01

The author makes this book very practical. No guess work here. Every type of equipment imaginable is examined! The book is well presented and easy to read for the busy business man or women. It is full of numerous black & white photographs of various equipment. Every type of merchandise you could possible think of is covered. I wish more business related book were this well written!

Generally I'd say that this book is a waste of time. If you want to start a food vending cart business get a general book about starting a business such as Start Your Own Business by Rieva Lesonsky. From Dogs to Riches basically parrots information that you would get from a real book about starting a small business with a little customization towards a street vendor.

Ms. Clark has put together a great manual on how to start and run your own mobile cart venture. From Dogs to Riches list more than 119 different types of vending cart businesses and include start-up costs and average profit potentials. I am excited about this book and look forward to sharing her tricks of the trade with my network.

Ive never read a program that was so complete & informative not just the things you think you know about this money making industry I was surprised to find out how much a person could make, it's funny you see them on the streets,.at Special events and you just don't think How much is sold from a mobile cart Clothes,Products,Health products,Food,and more it has trully opened my eyes to the secret money making opportunitise I wouldn't never have thunk it. GO FIGUE.THANKS FOR WRITTING SUCH A COMPLETE SYSTEM.!!!!!!!!!

Books looks interesting. I give it 3 stars because I haven't read it yet. I was searching for books on hot dog vending and this was one of the few that I could find. This book seems to be always out of print, and the few used copies seems to be ridiculously priced like in the $100-200 range--I kid you not!!! The retail price of this book is $39.95 direct from the author brand-new, so I can't see why a used copy would go for so much more!!! Silly people! Go to the authors website and read more about this great book. Best of luck in your hotdog business. If you want to learn more about hot dog vending, a great website to visit is hotdoguniversity.com

If you need to prepare a surf trip, you want to go at the best (known) spot, or you're just curious to see how it looks like 10 000 miles away, go for it !

This book is really well made, nice text, all the details you need to know, beautiful pictures. You can feel it was made by surfers for surfers.

The first pages will give a bit about wave creating system, weather forecasting and wind satelite map reading.

Really Nice book. But don't fool yourself, the best secret spots won't be in there !

This and all the Stormrider Guides are truely great sources of information about surf travel. Cleverly put together, have beautiful illustrations, and are packed with all the necessary information you need to start planning your surf adventure and travel. Every surfer (young or old) should have all of them on the shelves of their personal library. Go ahead and invest. You'll be stoked, dude!

Cowabunga, nos vemos en el agua!

This is a great guide with specific details and great photos would reccomend to anyone.

The book is awesome.. but.... the back cover is almost detaching fom the book.....

The first 'World Stormrider Guide' (Volume 1) to world surf spots was a little bit better than this one, primarily because both the pictures and quality of the surf breaks listed were consistently better.

In this edition, it seems some surf spots are listed to sell copies based on population, rather than surf quality (eg Texas, Perth-except Rottnest Island), or because of tourism (eg Venezuela -"waves are always small"), or because that is where the compilers thought they would like to have a holiday to research the information. And this leads to the second problem-some of the pictures are not up to the standard of a surf publication-many look like they were taken on a single day-stop on a surf trip, which were obviously not even close to the better days of surf at the spot. (Crumbling 2 foot beach breaks do not exactly make a publication). Everyone knows surf pictures are usually exceptional for a particular spot, but at least they know how good it can get.

The detail is as good or better than the first (ie water temperature, swell size, consistency, wind, costs, local stuff, spots highlighted in bold), but the pictures could definitely have been outsourced a bit more. (Hell, I've got better pictures on some spots on some of these-Lennox Head for example is rated as "one of the best right hand points in Australia" (in the top ten or so, along with the likes of Angourie, Burleigh, Kirra, Snapper, National Park Noosa, Winkipop, Bells, North Point, Mays)-yet the picture shows dribbly 3-4 footers-I've got pics which are better). And also, it isn't much value listing so MANY places which are at best average, or too inconsistent (eg like a number in the Carribean-obviously for the American market, the Seychelles-"very small", Northwest Phillippines and Vietnam-"always small"). A few average spots is ok, (or a really good spot but which is inconsistent), but there is too many spots which basically show you that it isn't worth going there (at least to surf, that is). Who wants to travel around the world to surf expensive 2 foot dribblers? (I can get that on an average day in Sydney). Quality, cheap, and uncrowded is what everyone wants-as well as the all-important consistency-ie often breaking!.(Hell, I know some spots in Australia that get absolutely epic, but only a couples of times a year!). In this respect a little more attention could be paid to details on consistency in general-it gives swell consistency/month, but a bit more detail here could be useful-something like actual number of good surf days/each month etc.

Particularly inviting were places like New Zealand (the place in general just gets better the more you look at it-like the first place shown after the inside cover-Mangamaunu Point-looks good), Peru/Lima area, Baja California (with the `seven sisters' stretch of pointbreaks), the `epic' Kumari Point in the Andamans (we'll have to their word for it, the pics look good, but not excellent), Rapa Nui, mainland Sumatra, Philip Island (I've seen better pics), Byron Bay (I've got better pics), Garden Route South Africa (poor quality pics, but there are some good waves on this coast), and the whole pacific side of Central America. Numerous other places like Madagascar, various Pacific Islands, Oman, Brazil, Venezeula, northwest Philippines, Vietnam, northern Spain, Angola, etc didn't exactly overwhelm with quality shots.

A final issue is that always difficult one, the "secret spot". I am one of those people who think the surf is for everyone, and you may as well show on the map where the spot or picture shown actually is. There are several spots described, some with pictures, but which are not shown on the accompanying maps (eg the Philippine Dream-pic looks good anyway, and "Secret Spot" South Africa). (They also say in Volume 1 that they are keeping some spots secret). There is also the annoying occasional picture which has no reference to where it is at all. Some people might like surfers to drive past `their' world-class spot, but it is pretty frustrating to go half way round the world, spend hard earned money, get home and find out you missed the best spot, and you can't go back. And there is always the paradox that others (eg businesses) might want the spot known. Who benefits from the secret? Not you, me or the local businesses-a small group of local surfers only. Also, the world is a big place, and more world-class spots might thin things out a bit, and moreover eventually they are going to find out anyway.

Hopefully the third edition will have some better pictures/surf spots- there are plenty around.

This is a boring book with poor articles for their topic. All of the authors have great cradentials but the pieces of works chosen were poor choices.

I received the Sixth Edition of EXPLORING THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION in the mail. Most of such "complimentary copies" of various textbooks are hardly worth reading, but this book is a delightful exception. All of the major themes are covered in excellent detail.
Stewart includes sections on mysticism, theodicy, evil, morality, theistic arguments, faith vs. reason,
religious language, the soul, and the will to believe. Adequate coverage of feminist themes and Asian thought is appreciated, especially in a fairly short volume. I would recommend this
book as a core text in philosophy of religion courses, using Whitehead-RELIGION IN THE MAKING and Bergson-TWO SOURCES as supplemental readings. The Stewart text could also be used as a supplemental text for intro. to phil. and ethics courses.
My only criticism is inadequate length-- the professor using this text as the sole text for a course would need to provide plenty of lecture material from outside sources or from her own research. I do not believe that this work could support a whole 15-week semester by itself.

This is an incredible work that will introduce the reader with such topics as defining "Religious Experience," "Arguments for the Existence of God," "Faith and Reason," "The Problem of Evil," "Death and Human Destiny," and much more. This book is laid out nicely to present various perspectives and opposing viewpoints. The "textbook" approach presents readings from notable thinkers such as William James, Rene Descartes, Anthony Flew, John Stewart Mill, Paul Tillich, and many others. It includes discussion questions that will challenge the reader to think about the material that is presented. As this work is written in the layman's language, I think that it will guide readers to EXPLORE the philosophy of religion, and that it will serve as a handbook to prepare arguments for beliefs and disposition.

I too enjoyed how the book was written. But I also loved the companion website resources. It was very helpful when preparing for my midterm or final. I bought the book used for the class, and will keep it as an additional resource for my personal library.

I have taught (and taken) courses in Child Development and Lifespan Development with numerous textbooks, and this was definitely my favorite. The text is exceptionally thorough and includes a balance of theory and application. Relevant research is discussed throughout, in a way that is interesting and engaging and emphasizes the importance of scientific rigor in studying development. Most of all I appreciate the personal, direct voice of the text, as if I am listening to the author talk. Some other texts actually make reading about lifespan development boring (hard to do but can be done!) This one very effectively illuminates how fascinating it can be. My only criticism might be that I found it very difficult to cover the entire text in a one semester class, precisely because it is so rich in information.

Used for a developmental psychology class, this book wasn't worth the $94.00 I paid for it. I could have easily substituted this book for any introductory psychology textbook. Piaget, Kolberg, Erikson, and Freud are hardly touched on and their theories are under-summarized. There is also a lack of relevant, current studies in the area of developmental psychology. Most studies are summarized and do not give any usable, substaintial evidence which could be used elsewhere (ex: in papers).

After reading the book I tried to find out who Dave Thompson is - with no result. Well, he`s written several rock books but what`s their value?
Anyway, as for the book, it feels like some cheap digest. First off, it`s a jewel case-size book, which is not a problem by itself, though as one of the reviewers mentioned "it doesn`t feel like a book". The book is in a jewel case indeed - and for a reason, because it literally started falling apart the first time I opened it - no kidding, and I handle my books with care! The book itself is exactly 72 grey paper pages (no photos - wait, there are 3 tiny really awful photos in the very beginning!), which is not the biggest problem, though it feels like I paid too much.
The book starts with an unnessessary superficial introduction briefly mentioning the first 3 U2 albums and Live Aid (what was the point?). Then it goes into the significance of the album (everyone who`d buy the book is well aware of it already!), the sessions (feels like random citations from press), then it describes the promos, the album and meaning of the songs (very superficial, again), B-sides and The Joshua Tree tour. All of the book feels like random outtakes from interviews and other - really good - books. (Just to give you a clue: U2 Live for tour information, Into The Heart and interviews - the Rolling Stone interviews summarized in U2 files, for example - describe the creative process and song meanings etc) It was a big disappointment for me, because as a U2 fan I expected some new information on the album. And the whole book feels so superficial and cheap!
Bottom line: I only see two reasons to buy the book: 1. You LOVE the Joshua Tree album, but don`t care about the rest of U2 work (if it`s possible!), so you`d like to learn something about the album without using other (and much better!) U2 sources. 2. You`re a crazy U2 completist fan willing to buy anything that contains the 2 letters.

U2 es un grupo que mueve masas a traves del mundo entero, aúncuando en países como Colombia si bien es conocido por sus éxitos With or without you, I still haven`t found what I`m looking for y Where the streets have no name, no deja de ser simplemente eso: El grupo de pop creador de esas canciones. Pero mas allá de esas canciones, U2 es un lider político que quizás sin darse cuenta ha influenciado con su música muchos movimientos europeos de tinte socio-polìtico , sobre todo en regiones en conflicto como Irlanda del sur. Es indiscutible que el disco que consagró a U2 como el mejor grupo de pop- rock, fué The Joshua Tree, pero han pasado ya 9 años desde su grabación, y los trabajos posteriores reflejan el crecimiento mental y espiritual del grupo así como su sentir frente al desarrollo de la humanidad en estos años. Es por ello que U2 será siempre un grupo de vanguardia en los mensajes que trasmite, así como en su estilo musical, aún cuando conserve siempre su clásica guitarra y moderado bajo.

1987's The Joshua Tree was U2's breakout album. They had been a big success in Europe, but in America, they were somewhat popular, but not superstars. Up to that point, they had never had a top ten album or single. That all changed when The Joshua Tree was released. The album was an instant smash, spent a staggering 9 weeks at number one and spawned two number one singles, "With Or Without You" & "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". They became the biggest band in the world and rock and roll icons. This book deals with the creative process of the recording of this seminal release. You get some good insights into the thought process behind the album. The one drawback is the book's size. It comes in a cd jewel case and is the size of a cd booklet. It doesn't feel like you are actually reading a book. Other than that, if you love The Joshua Tree, then you should check this book out.