Jack London Books

This is a good text, but I found myself wanting more. Several reviewers have spoken about how the authors did a good job of providing a new Ripper suspect, but I didn't feel they tied up the loose ends. There is mention of murders in Jamaica and Nicaragua late in the book, but no evident that Dr T. was ever in those countries at the time of the murders. There was a brief mention of an American `ripper event' in New York City, but no details surrounding this event. The evidence surrounding the Batty Street Lodger was very interesting, but the authors should have flushed that line of reasoning out further.

However the largest weakness of the text surrounds Mary Kelly. In the second appendix the authors decide that Mary is not a Ripper victim, apparently because Dr. T. might have been in police custody at the time of her murder. This might in fact be accurate, but this sort of material needs to be a chapter within the body of their text. This is a HUGE point within their theory and it's added in at the end. The authors spent significant time talking about Mary Kelly, only to discount the murder at the very end of the book because it didn't agree with their theory. This is a major flaw in their argument.

Additionally, early sections of the book spend a good deal of time talking about the Lincoln Assassination and Dr. T's arrest as a suspect in that affair. Unfortunately, these events are never tied back to the Whitechapel affair. Finally, very little information is provided regarding what happened to Dr. T. after he left London. Perhaps this information is not available, but one of the leading reasons to suspect Dr T. is he left London in 1888 (under suspicion). Additionally, if ripper-like murders happened in other parts of the world, this would be a big indicator that he was the Ripper, but only if you can show he was in those locals at the time of the murders.

Having read many Ripper texts, this one is more entertaining than most; however, it left me feeling the authors could have done more with their suspect. They did not convince me they had found Jack, only that Jack the Ripper and the Batty Street Lodger were probably one and the same person.

The Littlechild letter was an exciting find, but I remained unconvinced Tumblety was a viable JTR suspect. Unlike other JTR books though, I feel the authors present their story in an honest and well researched manner and I didn't get the feeling facts were fudged or glossed over altogether.

While Tumblety probably didn't commit the crimes (he didn't fit the description very well and I cannot believe JTR was that organized and competent to amass a small fortune), I wouldn't rule out he murdered others and I would still recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Whitechapel murders.

I was impressed with this book.The best Ripper book yet.Gives the facts ,and no newspaper biases. Timewise,it fits Dr.Tumblity.
Socially,it fits Dr.Tumblity.The O'tumblity's were Irish immigrants ,of the 1830s potatoe famine.He had a poor childhood and few prospects for social acceptance,in the WASP society,of the 19th century.Tumblity was a good medic,during the Civil War.He was even a gate-crasher at the Lincoln White-House.Yet,after the war,he was persona non grata. He had plucked medals off the dead solider's chests and boasted an impressive military service,all Munchhausen quitoxic fabrications. Like a social peacock, trying to impress the local fauna.Yet,it was faux plummage.Tumblity's wife was unfaithful and left him a embittered misogynist.The Tumblity quack sold peppered cure-alls,and performed abortions ,in the backroom,of his foot-to-the-ground office.When Tumblity passed on ,at a St.Louis catholic hospital,on South Euclid ,he donated all the jewlery he had to the unknowing sisters.The rings were from prostitutes and poor women that had no ready-cash for Tumblity's questionable abortion services. No worthy doctor sullied their hands in this dark business of "Angel-making".But,Tumblity did.This Tumblity deemed himself a "respectable gentelman".He had to be frustrated by being restricted to the nether-world of Victorian society.I believe Tumblity met Monty Druitt at a college pub.Tumblity lavished on young artsy college boys,such as Patricia Cornwall's suspect.The chaulked "Juwes" comment ,was atributed to Monty Druitt ,yet probably written by the old fox Tumblity.Tumblity had a falling out with Druitt,dumping his body in the still-water.The corpse was found some weeks later and Tumblity was long gone,having taken a steamer,back to Rochester,New York.Jack is slang for a "puerile boy" and a "ripper" rips things open.The young Tumblity was an saucy erotica porn reader and aware of the street-whores of the lower eastside.The elder Tumblity was an avid theatre goer,watching the performances of the Booth family.(Yet,i do not know if Tumblity having been ejected by the Lincoln beef-eaters,then help hatch the assassination plot with John Wilkes Booth.) Tumblity was also a fan of Gilbert&Sullivan.Tumblity visited his sister(1875) ,from Vallejo,CA and watched the "Mikado" ,in near-by Frisco. Amazing!Did the Zodiac know this?? -- Mr.Lusk was a Mason,yet Tumblity was rejected as a Mason. You do the addition and go figure here.The best evidence provided here is proven and sound. A great book!

I enjoyed this book. Admittedly, it has sat on my shelf for three years, waiting until I was in a suitably dark mood to be tempted by it. The authors present a lot of evidence and show very thorough research. The killer they suggest seems entirely plausible, much more so than in the other Ripper book I read and enjoyed (at the end of which, the author's conclusion was that the man had simply stopped killing. Serial killers don't just stop. So that was implausible). Good book.

Contrary to what Reviewer #2 has to say with his low rating, having read MANY "Studies" of the Ripper over the years, I find the case brought against "Dr." Tumblety to be by FAR the MOST likely; there is just TOO much coincidence for it NOT to be this man. Of particular interest are a SIMILAR rash of murder/mutilations performed AFTER the Whitechapel murders in another locale where Tumblety was proven to have been in at the same time as THAT series occured. PLUS Tumblety's collection of fetuses, etc. HIGHLY recommended, to me one of the MOST compelling books yet written on the topic, with more than enough proof provided to prove Tumblety's guilt.

This book is the best I have read on this subject. On my last trip to London I actually went on a tour with the author Donald Rumbelow. I bought the book from Donald at the end of the tour and he autographed it for me. Donald leads a London "Jack the Ripper" walk that far surpasses any other guided tour of any sort that I have ever been on. He knows his stuff, as you can see by reading the book. Donald is the Curator of the Police Crime Museum and a former Scotland Yard Detective. Anytime I go to London, which is about every couple of years, I have to go on a "Ripper" tour with Donald. Travel guides like Fodor's, Frommers, Eyewitness etc recommend the expert walking tour and his crime book. Donald's walking company site is "london.walks.com".

I just returned from London and attended Donald Rumbelow's "Ripper Walk" (on 20 May 04) and Donald has just revised his book. He did not have any copies available at the end of the walk because they are sitting at the publishers (Penguin) but will be available anytime now. As everyone has stated, this gentleman knows his subject. It was one of the highlights of my trip to London!

I actually got to meet and discuss the murders with Mr. Rumbelow on a trip to London last summer, and it's not hard to see why he is considered by many well-thought-of historians and many of Hollywood's elite as the Official Jack The Ripper Historical Expert. For instance, he not only has an amazing amount of knowledge regarding details of the Ripper Case, but he was also a historical consultant for the 2002 film "From Hell", the most accurate Ripper film, to date. In this book, he paints a bleak yet comprehensive portrait of the case that has baffled historians and case-solvers, alike, for the past century. Highly recommended!

Donald Rumbelow has an excellent writing style and this is an easy to read and understand book. In particular, he does a great job of helping the reader understand the conditions in London's east end during this time of the old city's history. He also gives the reader a complete understanding of the limitations faced by police in the late 1800's. If no one saw the killer commit the crime, it was almost impossible to make an arrest.

This is a fairly short book as compared to other ripper books but there is a wealth of information. This would be an excellent book for someone just getting interested in the ripper for it is more of an introduction to the case than anything else. Rumbelow never really makes any attempt to solve the case. Instead he spends a lot of time showing the faults in other ripper writer's theroies. I think it was Sherlock Holmes who said that if you get rid of all the things that were impossible, what was left was the answer, no matter how improbable. I think that may be what Rumbelow is up to.

Truth be known, the section I enjoyed most was the chapter called "Beyond the Grave", which deals with ripper like killers who followed Jack. The Yorkshire and Dusseldorf rippers and Jack the Stripper for example. Their cases are not only highly interesting but also prove that the shadow of Jack the Ripper will be hanging over us for a long time.

Donald Rumbelow, as a Scotland Yard Detective, provides a grim, realistic study of the Ripper Case, even down to studying such vague connections as Ellery Queen fictional work concerning it.
He was permitted access to records that are still sealed, and was shocked to find how little of the records survived. He was also able to put back the death bed picture of Mary Kelly.

The only fault I find is in his analysis of the suspects. He seemed to rigid and not willing to look into this with any real depth.

Overall, a must for any ripperologist!!

The name of the book I read was The Call of the Wild. The call of the wild is in first person.
Jack London used many writing styles. Jack London used large words.
The characters used slang and dialect. The author's word choice does affect the reader. Jack London does not write dialogue convincingly. I think the author chose his words carefully.
The theme of one of the books comes from a wolf that lives in the woods. The wolf goes through many obstacles. In my life I went through many obstacles I feel a personnel connection. This author is well known for writing. I would recommend this book to 9th graders. I don't think this book is for 8th graders. This book did not have an affect on me. I thought that the book was very adventurous. There was alot of traveling and fighting.

Whitney Boehm
Period 3
13 August 2006

"The Call of the Wild" book review

A book that influenced my life greatly is "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London. This book is about a lovable husky named Buck who is snatched away from his master and is transported to Alaska where he has to learn to become a sled dog as means of survival. He then experiences a life as a sled dog for a number of different masters, some cruel and some kind. But deep inside he yearns to be free. He finally escapes as he " heeds the call of the wild."
This book was influential to me because it was such a heartbreaking story of how the dog was treated and how he finally overcame it to be wild and free in the end. When I first saw the book I was thinking, ` great, another boring book to sit through', but as soon as I got into reading it I just couldn't put it down(and I know everyone is always saying that they can't put it down but just beat with me here people). After I read it I read it twice more and I always felt kind of sad in the end. What this book taught me about myself is that I really do kind of enjoy reading and books like this one are the kinds you just want to read over and over again.

Gold was found in Alaska, the rush to obtain it required a strong constitution and many dogs to do the work that horses usually did in the states. The environment bread harsh attitudes. Also in the testing of ones mettle one finds their true potential.

Buck (a dog that is half St Bernard and half Shepherd) goes through many lives, trials, and tribulations finally realizing his potential. On the way he learns many concepts from surprise, to deceit, and cunning; he also learns loyalty, devotion, and love. As he is growing he feels the call of the wild.

This book is well written. There is not a wasted word or thought and the story while building on its self has purpose and direction. The descriptions may be a tad graphic for the squeamish and a tad sentimental for the romantic. You see the world through Buck's eyes and understand it through his perspective until you also feel the call of the wild.

The Call of the Wild - Dog of the Yukon (1997)

The Call of the Wild by Jack London; Masterworks: Chicago, 1995.
ISBN# 1-561563706
BY Mike Hendrix



Do you want to hear what Buck goes through? The Call of the Wild is a fiction book by Jack London. The theme in The Call of the Wild is "no one is going to do it for you; you have to do it on your own".
The Call of the Wild is a book about a sled dog, Buck, who was bought, sold, bought again, and then trained and finally sold once more. Buck learns a lot as the book goes on. Some of the things he learns are how to work in a pack and how to eat fast so he can gain energy. Also, Buck learns how to pull over 1000 pounds all by himself.
The Call of the Wild is a captivating book about a dog, Buck, learning to survive in the wild. Buck survives by learning to do everything himself. When Buck is in the wild he has to be strong to survive. My favorite quote from the book is when Francisco says "Dat Buck two devil, I know for sure one day he get mad enough he chew Spitz up and spit heem on de snow." I liked this quote because it shows how tough Buck is.
Jack London was from San Francisco, California. He started writing when he was 21 years old. I can connect to this book in many ways, mainly because I have two dogs. They show similar traits to Buck. For instance, my dogs fight over territory and bones.
I would recommend this book to any one who likes dogs and also to people who like adventures. I recommend The Call of the Wild because it is an adventurous book about dogs.

The Call of the Wild
By Cody Dale
It was about a dog named Buck living with his master Judge Miller. He had a good home. But was kid napped by a bad man who sold him to a dog sled team. Buck has to learn to survive the extremely cold weather and the other savage dogs. The leader of the dogs is a mean strong dog. Buck beats the dog in a fight and becomes lead dog. But then he is sold to become a mail carrier he does the best he can. But then he is sold to two bad people who don't know the first thing about taking care of dogs. Then he gets away from them and finds a good master. They become friends. But then his master is killed by savages so Buck meets up with a pack of wolves and finally answers the call wild.
This is a great book because it was a lot of action I would recommend this book to a friend.

This book is basically an alphabetized glossary of every person that conceivably had anything to do with the Jack the Ripper story. Even masochist-poet Algernon Charles Swinburne was proposed as a Ripper suspect! It's an intriguing and helpful catologue of names and brief biographies focusing on Ripper connections. This book will appeal especially to those readers who already have some knowledge of the case from books.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

In his Foreword to this reference book, Donald Rumbelow states that "contrary to popular belief, the pre-occupation with the Ripper is not anti-feminist".

Oh, thank you for the sour persimmons, Donald Rumbelow. Now all can revel in the mystery of Jack the Ripper with clear consciences and without having to worry about being affiliated with those horrible (chooey!) anti-feminists.

And your clarification was necessary because, as everyone knows, when we are not blowing up abortion clinics, anti-feminists are indeed in the habit of committing serial murders of women and ritualistically using their blood to brew our sacred malt liquor.
Sheesh!

And Rumbelow also states that he has no doubt that the mystery will eventually be solved. He wrote that in 1991 before the Maybrick Diary was publicized, but some of us think that the Maybrick Diary contains the solution to the mystery, and yet the debate rages on.

What would have to happen in order for the mystery to be solved to the satisfaction of MOST, let alone EVERYONE? In the wake of the Maybrick storm, Rumbelow's prediction seems naïve today.

But notwithstanding the Forward, this is a very good reference work, usable for both novice and expert, for which the editors, Paul Begg, Martin Fido, and Keith Skinner deserve much credit.

They appear to have overlooked no detail of information or speculation or tradition associated with Jack the Ripper. When one sees an entire entry devoted to "Smith, H - Undertaker of Hanbury Street, who supplied hearse for Annie Chapman", one must acknowledge that the editors truly appear to have left no stone unturned.

Maybe they went a little too far. Does it advance the study of the Ripper mystery to list every fanciful movie or TV show based on that theme, including the Star Trek episode "Wolf in the Fold"?

The authors are modest enough about what they have done and do not vouch for 100% accuracy, but as corrections are brought to their attention, they appear to be dutifully acknowledged and included in each new edition of this book.

Where there are disputes, the authors usually present all sides well and demonstrate impartiality in their analysis. Usually. I especially appreciate their presentation of the dispute over the "Lusk kidney" (genuine kidney removed from Ripper victim, Catherine Eddowes, or medical student hoax?)

But what's this - "(O)n the basis of handwriting analysis, there currently seems little doubt that Maybrick did not write the Journal"? Uh - no. Even the most stalwart Maybrickian might have to admit that the handwriting in the diary is a problem, but that remark from "A to Z" unacceptably crosses the boundary between impartial analysis and opinion.

And what of the famous "Dear Boss" letters written to the Central News Agency, which were signed "Jack the Ripper", from which the East End murderer acquired his legendary nickname? If the letters were contemporary hoaxes and weren't written by the murderer, it isn't really accurate to refer to the murderer as "Jack the Ripper".

When the editors solemnly intone (correctly) that "most researchers" have concluded that the letters were indeed hoaxes, I am inclined to believe that they are slyly using the weight of majority opinion to browbeat the reader into agreeing.

Begg and Fido are certainly part of the "growing consensus" on this issue - do they ever advertise a willingness to go AGAINST the consensus?

And yet, among other things, the "Dear Boss" letters were taken seriously at the time by the police and were written by someone who appears to display the extreme cocksureness of the serial killer. They were written by someone who seems to know that human blood thickens quickly and can't be saved for later use as ink. And they were written by someone who seems POSITIVE that more murders are yet to come. Moreover, they are written in the same hand as that which wrote a threatening letter to a police witness who might have seen the murderer - hardly the work of a hoaxing publicity hound.

So why the consensus AGAINST the authenticity of these letters? Could it be that most Ripperologists have their own favorite suspects, who were unable or unlikely to have written the "Dear Boss" letters, and that these Ripperologists merely alter their view of the letters to conform to their own pre-drawn conclusions?

Begg and Fido wrote about the Ripper before publishing this reference work. Each of them named a different poverty-stricken lunatic semi-literate Polish Jew as the most likely Ripper candidate. Neither of their candidates could have written in the good copperplate hand that wrote the "Dear Boss" letters. Are Begg and Fido expediently allowing their objectivity to be clouded by taking false reassurance from the opinion of "most researchers"?

Ripperologists are confident about issues such as this because of consensuses that they learn about by reading the works of Ripperologists. Did the police operate this way? No wonder Jack was never caught in his lifetime.

In their published commentary about Jack the Ripper, Begg, Fido, and Skinner have proven themselves to be of impartial disposition and advocates of fair treatment for all points of view. They have shown themselves to be friends of the truth, whatever that truth may prove to be. But I am reminded of a book on realpolitik that I once read, in which it was observed that a friend is someone that you can trust 80% of the time.

With that in mind, a rating of four stars out of a possible five seems quite appropriate.

I found this book extremely well researched, well done begg,fido and skinner. I have been interested in the jack the ripper mystery for some years now,and this book was the first to introduce me to such little known suspects as william h piggot.He was arrested in a public house not far from whitechapel after causing a disturbance, and was found to have a torn bloodstained shirt in his possession plus a severe bite mark on his hand(the day after a ripper murder).Then there was edward mckenna, arrested for suppossedly threatening people with a knife.When he was taken to the police station for questioning and told to empty his pockets, they contained amongst other things several metal and cardboard boxes!(the ripperologists out there will know) that a month after mckenna was arrested,Mr lusk recieved a human kidney delivered by post in a (cardboard box). These little gems of knowledge have been brought to life in this alphabettically arranged guide of who's who ,from the bobby on the street to the head of police investigations.A breath of fresh air, much better than the usual claptrap about the prince of wales etc.

This book written in encyclopedia form, lists all the people associated with the Jack the Ripper murders such as witnesses, informants, suspects, residents, inspectors, etc. There is a summary for each person mentioned, which is very informative. This is an excellent source to have by your side when reading other books on the Ripper. It is invaluable!

I had to write a research paper on the Ripper murders, and I found this book invaluable. Grab it as soon as possible. I reccommend it 100%

Having only a general knowledge of the ripper murders of the late 19th century, I was looking for a book that could fill in some of the details and distinguish between the known and the speculative. In this regards, the author succeeds. Mr. Rumbelow begins by giving us an overview of the East End in general and Whitechapel in particular since these are the areas in which the murders occurred. We learn about the population size, the number of poor, and other relevant socioeconomic facts. After this concise introduction to 1888 London and its environs, we move right into the murders themselves.

The author does a good job of distilling the facts associated with each of the five confirmed murders. We learn of the sad living conditions of the victims, their lowly states, and the brutality of their murders. We, of course, also learn a bit about Jack the Ripper along the way. The most definitive thing we learn is how he kills. To wit, he strangles his victims, puts them in a prone position, and then mutilates them with what is presumably a surgical knife of some kind. Somewhat surprisingly, it would seem that everything else that is related to the ripper lacks this kind of clarity. For example, although a general consensus exists that the killer had some anatomical knowledge and surgical skill, there is not complete unanimity by all that were involved in the case. Also, while newspapers and the police were flooded with letters claiming either to be the ripper or to know who he was, we know that only a couple of the letters are suspected to have actually come from the ripper himself. Do these letters, which were written in a coarse style, tell us the ripper was poorly educated or merely pretending to be so? If the former, then how does that square with the belief that the killer had anatomical and surgical skills? Could he have been a butcher of some kind? We just don't know and this book, unfortunately, can't tell us.

In addition to the murder details, we also learn of the intensive police investigation. The police were hamstrung at the time by the lack of scientific and forensic tools that we now possess. Remember that not only did DNA testing not exist; even blood typing had yet to make an appearance. Nonetheless, the police did what they could. Perhaps as a City of London policeman, Mr. Rumbelow is a bit biased, but he paints a picture of the police doing a competent job (informing the public, increasing patrols, setting traps, withholding key pieces of information, etc.) given the constraints they faced (e.g., territorial disputes between the city of London police and the Metropolitan police). However, this is not to say that no mistakes were made. One notable example is the Metropolitan police commissioner personally erasing a message that the ripper is believed to have scrawled on a wall for fear that anti-Jewish sentiment could spark a riot. While the message was written down, there is some question as to whether it was accurately transcribed. Had Sir Charles Warren been willing to wait just one hour more, a photograph could have been taken for later study.

It's really the second half of the book that falters and has given rise to my three star rating. Many pages are spent discussing seven suspects or so. While some discussion is warranted, the 100 pages seem excessive. This is especially so when you consider that we ultimately do not know the identity of the culprit and Mr. Rumbelow seems skeptical of the suspects that he presents. Additionally, the author spends a good deal of time discussing "ripper" murders that have occurred in the 20th century. The problem is that notwithstanding the fact that these killers may have been dubbed "rippers" by the press or public, they bear little resemblance to the 18th century East End killings. They may all have been serial killers, but the latter-day murderers did not confine themselves to one section of town, prey exclusively on prostitutes, or mutilate their victims in the way that the original ripper did. Taking all of this into consideration, the coverage of Jack the Stripper, the Dusseldorf Ripper, and the Yorkshire Ripper appears superfluous.

Despite the criticism, this is still a very good introduction to Jack the Ripper for those who have little or no knowledge of the specifics of the killings. This book was originally published in 1975 and the edition I read was from 1988. There are probably some Ripperologists who feel that a book of this vintage is outdated, but I'm not convinced we know much more now then we did twenty years ago. It's true that there have been those who claim to have discovered the identity of the real Jack the Ripper (notably Patricia Cornwell), but the suspects and a large portion of the evidence against them are included in this book and we still don't have any forensics to positively identify any person as the killer. Therefore, I recommend this book to those interested in the case, but I also caution that this is probably not a good read for the squeamish. Many of the killings are necessarily described in graphic fashion and there are even some morgue and crime scene photos.

Rumbelow's Casebook is indeed very complete.
The opening chapters set the context of Whitechapel in East end of London at the time of the killings. The statistics of lifestyles at the end of the nineteenth century provided by Rumbelow is evidence A that he "did his homework" and researched his subject matter fully.
I am not usually a fan of true crime novels but had to get this book as Jack is such an infamous personage and wasn't disappointed. Rumbelow writes about the murders with passion without sensationalism that the book may have elicited in hands of another and describes the setting the lives of the victims, theories and letters from the Ripper and parrallel cases. This is probably the most complete book on Jack The Ripper and wholly lives up to its name as being the Complete Casebook so for anyone with at least passing interest in the Infamous Ripper I suggest they read this book to better understand the murders.

This was the first book I read on Jack the Ripper. It was well written, and I will have to agree with the other reviewer, the first part is the best. Rumbelow did a wonderful and skillful job in setting the mood for the things to come. He also does a great job in going into detail about the murders. However, as later writers have pointed out, he uses a lot of secondary sources, like made up newspaper accounts, and fiction from some of the early writers of Jack the Ripper. It's a good book to begin with, but don't believe everything in the book as being pure fact. The fact is, some of the sources he used were bad, or he only viewed them and then they vanished. It is still a very good book. However, I would suggest Jack the Ripper the complete history by Philip Sugden, over this one.

This book is the best I have read on this subject. On my last trip to London I actually went on a tour with the author Donald Rumbelow. I bought the book from Donald at the end of the tour and he autographed it for me. Donald leads a London "Jack the Ripper" walk that far surpasses any other guided tour of any sort that I have ever been on. He knows his stuff, as you can see by reading the book. Donald is the Curator of the Police Crime Museum and a former Scotland Yard Detective. Anytime I go to London, which is about every couple of years, I have to go on a "Ripper" tour with Donald. Travel guides like Fodor's, Frommers, Eyewitness etc recommend the expert walking tour and his crime book. Donald's walking company site is "london.walks.com".

This is easily the best book on Jack the Ripper I have read yet. Rumbelow adds a lot of background to the case study, including an early chapter on just how horrible the London slums were in Victorian times (far worse than anything out of Dickens). He also covers what the press and the police departments were doing as the case unfolded, which form interesting subplots of their own. The last half of the book is not quite as good as it wanders over a slew of suspects, a handful of later serial killers, and comments on a few media versions of the case. Still Rumbleow is thorough and objective and easily proves to be one of the leading Ripperologists working today.

This is a really great old novel. It's somewhat reminicent of Jack the Ripper, and keeps you in suspense until the end. It wasn't quite as chilling as I had heard through reviews, and it left quite a few questions unanswered, such as: how exactly were the girls killed? and what were Mr. Sleuth's experiments?; but it is a great thriller.

On a cold, blustery, foggy winter in late 19th century London, multiple murders of woman leave the police stymied. The interesting story Lowndes portrays is set around a married couple strapped for money who rent out their upper story to an eccentric young man (the lodger). The interactions occur mostly between the lodger and the wife; she turns out to be an apologist for him. The couples suspicions of their lodger slowly rise after reading the death tally in the paper and through police friends.

Lowndes bases her book on research through investigative articles and interviews; the rest is left to conjecture. The English dialect lends a more realistic feel. Sorry to disappoint; if you were looking for blood and gore........its not here. Well written, will keep you glued. Jack the Ripper was never captured.

Wish you well
Scott

It is a GREAT book and will go on my 'special' bookshelf of superior things. "The Lodger" is written,1900-ish, by Marie Belloc Lowndes, who is the sister of vaguely famous Hillaire Billoc. I had assumed from the name Hillaire that he was some French writer I had missed, but he turned out to be just a right wing English politician who thought women shouldn't get the vote, even though, obviously, his sister could write rings around him. Anyway, the plot is this: (Don't read this is you fear exposure to a few plot details)

Robert and Ellen Bunting were an ex butler and his wife, a lady's maid who after a business failing had fallen on very hard times, and were reduced to such straights that the husband's purchase of a penny newspaper to read about the details of the horrendous, "Avenger" (aka Jack The Ripper), serial killings in London nearly precipitated an argument between them, despite the fact that they were a very nice couple who cared for each other in their restrained English way. At the moment of their greatest despair, their prayers are answered as a 'gentleman' comes knocking in answer to the sign in their window of 'rooms to let'.

""On the top of the three steps which led up to the door, there stood
the long, lanky figure of a man, clad in an Inverness cape and an
old-fashioned top hat. He waited for a few seconds blinking at her,
perhaps dazzled by the light of the gas in the passage. Mrs.
Bunting's trained perception told her at once that this man, odd as
he looked, was a gentleman, belonging by birth to the class with
whom her former employment had brought her in contact.

"Is it not a fact that you let lodgings?" he asked, and there was
something shrill, unbalanced, hesitating, in his voice.

"Yes, sir," she said uncertainly--it was a long, long time since
anyone had come after their lodgings, anyone, that is, that they
could think of taking into their respectable house.

Instinctively she stepped a little to one side, and the stranger
walked past her, and so into the hall.

And then, for the first time, Mrs. Bunting noticed that he held a
narrow bag in his left hand. It was quite a new bag, made of strong
brown leather.

"I am looking for some quiet rooms," he said; then he repeated the
words, "quiet rooms," in a dreamy, absent way, and as he uttered
them he looked nervously round him.

Then his sallow face brightened, for the hall had been carefully
furnished, and was very clean.

There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary
feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which
matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.

A very superior lodging-house this, and evidently a superior
lodging-house keeper.

"You'd find my rooms quite quiet, sir," she said gently. "And just
now I have four to let. The house is empty, save for my husband
and me, sir."

Mrs. Bunting spoke in a civil, passionless voice. It seemed too
good to be true, this sudden coming of a possible lodger, and of a
lodger who spoke in the pleasant, courteous way and voice which
recalled to the poor woman her happy, far-off days of youth and
of security.

"That sounds very suitable," he said. "Four rooms? Well, perhaps
I ought only to take two rooms, but, still, I should like to see
all four before I make my choice."

How fortunate, how very fortunate it was that Bunting had lit the
gas! But for that circumstance this gentleman would have passed
them by.

She turned towards the staircase, quite forgetting in her agitation
that the front door was still open; and it was the stranger whom
she already in her mind described as "the lodger," who turned and
rather quickly walked down the passage and shut it.

"Oh, thank you, sir!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry you should have
had the trouble."

For a moment their eyes met. "It's not safe to leave a front door
open in London," he said, rather sharply. "I hope you do not often
do that. It would be so easy for anyone to slip in.""

Ellen Bunting becomes even more sure the shy new lodger is a gentleman because his manners are so odd. He arrives with no luggage but a brown leather bag he clutches continually. Ellen is reassured because from her years of service in Regent's Park households, she knows peculiarity of behavior is a sign of good breeding. The lodger who's name is Mr. Sleuth, borrows a bible and pays the months rent in advance. He's a vegetarian, which shocks the conservative Bunting's, but they cook prepare his eggs and cheese with as good a face as they can't put on it. Mr. Sleuth is so glad there is a sink and gas stove in his room on which to conduct his 'scientific experiments'. He rents the entire two floors above the couples apartment. The couple are able to repay a loan they got from a young policeman who has romantic intentions toward Mr. Bunting's daughter Daisy from a first marriage, who lives with a rich aunt. The tired policeman visits often, and Mrs. Bunting gives him tea as he tells of the failure or success of the police in their search for the man who is committing horrendous crimes which have enthralled all wintery London. The murders start to occur closer and closer to the couples home, as the gentle Mr. Sleuth sits upstairs during the daytime reading aloud all the sections of the bible which are most unflattering to women. Ellen, polishing the banisters, listens to his voice. At night he goes out in rubber soled shoes. Quickly, Ellen begins to suspect her lodger is a notorious murderer, but she doesn't turn him in because, understandably, he stands between them and starvation. Not to mention the fact that she's become oddly attached to him. He's such a gentle gentleman.

What a rare great book! It's so well written. Wonderful, thoughtful characters. I restrain myself from giving away the end, although of course, as is my way, I read the last chapter first... sigh. A book this good is like being in love.

Now I'm reading "Castle In The Carpathians" by Jules Verne. It's not very scary though. His bats, I understand, all turn out to be mechanical. I must find more ghost stories to read, it's such a dark and rainy summer. (I haven't finished Tristam Shandy yet, but am plugging along in the odd hour.)

Our reading group read this book and the six people present all enjoyed it - some more than others. The consensus - it was more of a period piece dealing with moral conflict rather than a horror story (although we all agreed it was quite disturbing). Almost all of us were disappointed in the ending. Still, we were all glad we read this very well written book.

This is the suspenseful best-seller by Hillaire Belloc's sister that inspired Hitchcock's first talkie and the 1940s-era remake that won its star, Laird Cregar, an Oscar. The motivation of the murderess lodger's landlady may be hard for moderns to swallow. Her crisis comes from, on the one hand, guessing that her lodger is a serial killer, and, on the other, needing his rent money as well as harboring the working-class Victorian's deeply ingrained aversing to informing to the coppers -- this even though a young detective is a constant visitor and supportive friend. This conflict is never resolved. By accident only are the landlady and her husband saved from "The Avenger." Despite the protagonists' moral cowardice, the deus ex machina ending and considerable over-writing, this is a gripping, atmospheric page-turner, redolent with fine detail of every-day life in the London of the period. Their character warts don't prevent Mr. and Mrs. Bunting from being sympathetic. Indeed, those flaws help the book rise above its genre.

I once read this book when I was around 11 years old. Back then I pretty much got all of the details of the book. I again read White Fang this summer. White fang is about a fearsome wolf named Buck. Buck always stood above all of the dogs. He led his team of fellow wolfs on a race over 2,000 miles long. In the book Buck proves his strength and his courage time and time again. I must give a warning to the younger readers out there that there are some violent dog fights that Buck gets into so if you are not into the whole fighting scene you might just want to skip those parts. If you like a classic book with action and adventure than White Fang is the book for you.

The cold Alaskan air could burn anybody's skin and heart, but not this wolf named Buck. He showed he had heart in everything that he did. One of the many things Buck did during his three thousand miles was earning ownership from all the dogs on the team and from all of the men and women who owned him. He showed courage by pulling twenty five-pound sacks of flour for one hundred yards all by himself. This book is a good one to read if you love adventure, excitement and danger. I would recommend this book to anybody, but mostly the younger children because of its many fun adventures.

I'm reviewing a shorter compilation of Jack London stories not currently available on Amazon, but all of the stories are also in this book.

I bought the book to revisit the "cold weather stories" such as Call of the Wild and To Build a Fire while holed up last winter in my snowy mountain redoubt. I enjoyed the cold adventures and descriptions of living and working outdoors in subzero weather before the era of goose down, Thinsulate, Gore-Tex and nylon. I was not too surprised to learn my recollection of these stories that I first encountered forty-odd years ago was not particularly accurate (not unlike other distant memories I investigate) and I enjoyed reading them.

Having said that, a lot of these stories are downright DEPRESSING...London was a well regarded writer and commercial success in his short lifetime. But he was apparently a tormented person, driven to alcohol and suicide by age 40. His dark view of human nature and the need for and desirability of radical socialist revolution is a theme of several stories. One of them, The Dream of Debs, fantasizes about a bazaar socialist rebellion in San Francisco. The "working class" secretly colludes to hide away food for themselves and then calls a general strike that brings the "ruling class" to its knees by imminent starvation. The result is that everyone gets their pre-strike jobs back with greatly improved income and working conditions for all the strikers. It never occurs to London, apparently a "true believer", that some of the "rulers" might not reopen their businesses as they would lose money or that they would cover their increased costs by raising prices to the workers' detriment as consumers. Oddly, London could not fathom that his story's affluent protagonist would do anything after the strike except rehire his house full of domestic servants at much increased wages, even welcoming back those who stole his food and abandoned him to battle starvation. Weird...

Nevertheless, these stories are well written with vivid, pithy language, colorful descriptions and surprising plot twists. They are excellent reading for would-be writers of all ages and, at least regarding the "traditional" stories, are excellent tales of heroic adventure in the frigid late-19th century north country.

In the book, The Call of the Wild and other stories, a dog name Buck is forced to leave his home in Santa Clara Valley, California after he is sold to two men that are going up north for the gold rush. They are headed to the region of Klondike Canada and once they get there Buck soon realizes that it is a very uncivilized place compared to his home. Buck competes with the rest of the sled dogs for head dog and it becomes a very violent contest in which Buck wins. After a while, Buck and the rest of the sled dogs become very weak after the long and treacherous journey. Buck is sold to an experienced gold hunter named John Thornton and they build a great relationship. After John Thornton dies Buck is forced to survive on his own and it is truly a Call of the Wild.

I enjoyed the book Call of the Wild because it was a great adventure story and a story that I think people of all ages would enjoy. I also liked how the author Jack London depicted the relationship between dog and man. He described how Buck felt towards all of his owners and how he learned that humans were only superior to him if they had one thing, a weapon. London went into more detail about Buck and John Thornton's relationship by describing how they were the best of friends. He showed that Buck was so obedient towards John that he would jump off a cliff if he were told to do so.

London did a great job of using imagery to enhance the book. I believe the plot of the book itself is what makes it a classic but the imagery and diction London chooses to use makes it just more interesting than it already is. I really think people of all ages would enjoy reading this book and even if you aren't into the wilderness type of book I think you will still enjoy the story.

This review is by a family of three kids. Our mom read this book aloud to us. Here are our opinions:
Anne (12): I think this was a really moving book, but some of the writer's opinions, I didn't quite agree with. Jack London says that we are shaped by our society, but I believe that we can change ourselves, because we have free will.
Michelle (11): It was a great book, but I didn't like the middle portion, because White Fang was all hatred, killing all the dogs he met.
John (9): The best part was when White Fang was sitting at the shore as boats came up, waiting to kill all the dogs. I think White Fang was good and bad. He would be a good guard dog. But he was bad because he tried to kill. He never let any dog retreat to save themselves.
Mom: This was really a good book, but I recommend it as a read aloud. The reading level is way above my kids heads, but they understood it in context as a read aloud. There are some very ferocious parts that I skipped as I read, because I thought them too graphic. But the book did inspire us to discuss the idea that we are shaped by our surroundings, and that we have free will to make our way. But also, we shape other's lives by our own choices -- so we are responsible before God to others.

Jack London's social document written in 1902 about the slum of London's East End paints no less than hell, `a huge killing machine': an illiterate scrambling mass of human beings living in the most squalid conditions, inhaling air saturated with sulfuric acid.
The fact, that there were `more people than houses', was fully exploited by house-sweaters.
The fact that there were `more men than work' was ruthlessly used by employers to pay starvation wages. Moreover the working conditions were abominable; every year 1 out of 1400 workers were killed, 1 out of 2500 were totally and 1 out of 9 temporary disabled.
55 % of the children died before the age of 5. The average lifetime was 30 years.
The renowned economist Pigou estimated that 71 % of the population of London lived on the brink of starvation.

In the innermost centre of Christian civilization, in the heart of the wealthiest and most powerful empire in the world, cynical moral indecency was the standard. The church goers remained callous before the permanent hunger wail and the slaughter of the innocents: `It's their own fault'. More, the `soul snatchers' promised paradise after life.

The situation in London reflected the global situation in England, which was perhaps worse, because people continued to migrate in the city.

If Jack London's book is a dramatic plea for more humanity on behalf of the powerful, his solution (`better management') is more than naive. What the starving poor (the vast majority of the population) needed was democracy (one man, one vote) in order to grab power themselves.

This book is unfortunately still topical, because, in a certain sense, the social contrasts inside London at the beginning of the 20th century reflect our North/South division.

Not to be missed.

The Abyss was the poverty-stricken East End of London, England. The People were the unfortunate millions in the late 1800s and early 1900s who teetered on the edge, waiting for the all-too-common event--"the thing," as Jack called it--to send them careening over the edge from which there was virtually no hope of return. It could be loss of a job, an illness, a debilitating injury, or a family breadwinner's death. What followed was a slow descent into hell, a long, losing struggle for gainful employment, food, and shelter. The Abyss was a cesspool of misery, disease, crime, abject poverty, drunkenness, debauchery, and early death. According to Jack London (an American outsider), responsibility for it lay with the high and mighty managers of society, the rich politicians who largely wrote-off the district as an aberration created by those who inhabited it.

People of the Abyss is reminiscent of Upton Sinclair's classic about the Chicago meatpacking industry, written some decades later. I found it better written, more readable, and more convincing as an impetus for social change. Where Sinclair employed a fictional device to shock readers with deplorable working and living conditions around the stockyards, London's book is very much like a journalistic report, a book-length essay on his real-life, "undercover" experiences in the Abyss. Also, while both writers do more moralizing than is generally acceptable in today's literature, London does less of it than Sinclair does. Less exaggerating too.

The book has a lot of historical value, and makes an interesting read. It's fascinating to learn of the horrendous conditions suffered by millions of unfortunate Londoners a hundred years ago. The debate rages on as to whether present-day inner-city conditions have improved. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

London's expose of the underbelly of England's capital in the early years of the twentieth century still packs a punch even though, both in method and some content, it has considerably dated.

For London, the 'vast shambles' of the 'abyss' is an economic pit of despair, one into which 'pours a flood of vigorous strong life that not only does not renew itself, but perishes by the the third generation'. The city is a large maw into which tumble down the exploited millions, who eke out their lives in misery, dumb desperation and filth. At a time when the British Empire was at its height, and missionaries were traditionally sent to 'save' those doomed souls overseas, the impact of this book was great and assured London his reputation.

As investigative novelist with a socialist conscience, London took Dickens' earlier, famous pity married with concern for the poor to the next logical step, by actually spending time in the 'underworld of London with an attitude of mind ... like that of an explorer' in the summer of 1902. 'The People of the Abyss' is an account of those months and weeks, supplemented with official statistics and reports. Through his time he posed as an American seaman down on his luck, and never condescended to those he encountered. London's sojurn with those at `the bottom' was not without a safety net however; he regularly took funds sewn into his clothes, and was happy to return to a shave and a bath when he was morally and physically exhausted.

His book interposes personal findings and offical data to construct an effective condemnation of the early Edwardian metropolis. The first half of his book has more of the sense of adventure and daring, the `exploring' he describes, which is subtly changed by the degree of proselytising which follows. Despite the succeeding pages of court report extracts and economic league tables (or perhaps because of them) the best sections of the book are those which spring from the author's direct anger over injustices. Author London, as he makes clear, has seen both sides of the tracks already in the States, and finds the comparisons odious. His impressions of Britain's underbelly are written with an outrage hard to find elsewhere in literature at the time.

Occasionally a reader senses that reality has been sharpened to make a point. For instance when London claims to have encountered a VC decorated soldier at the end of his tether (a neat but, to modern eyes, somewhat contrived touch). When he claims detailed knowledge of tortured lives - which surely must have been privileged information - one suspects that characters and types have been melded and worked on by the novelist, the salient facts polished and prepared (but not invented) with the aim of creating more of an impact.

The selection of statistics, which fill a few pages, have somewhat faded in impressiveness, and are probably available today elsewhere in more comprehensive extract for the interested historian. Similarly a lot of the social background can now be consulted in more detail in many sources.(Even London feels constrained to mention such major contemporary works as those produced by Mayhew.) What redeems any doubts and weaknesses is London's concern for his subject matter, the urgency for reform he communicates on almost every page - married to an immediacy of portraiture which only a novelists skills provide.

London's brand of socialism of course was a very personal one (and the idiocyncracies of his politics were attacked by comrades later in his career). It has to be said that there is no sign of his later racism in this book where one might expect to see signs, for instance in `The Ghetto' chapter. Marx never raises his head either, and Engels gets a bare mention. Instead of real revolution, the author ends rather lamely with an appeal for better 'management' of social systems, and a poem by Longfellow, rather than an over-significant quote from "Das Kapital' or such pertinent tracts. Such sentimentality can be a strength and a weakness, depending on your viewpoint and politics.

Some weaknesses aside, there are elements of the book which remain with one long after one has put it aside: the cruelty of the 'spike' for instance, or the irony of 'Coronation Day'; the scenes of degradation shown in 'A Glimpse of Inferno' and so on.

`People of the Abyss' remains one of London's best books, to be placed aside `White Fang', `The Sea Wolf' and `The Iron Heel', and can be confidently recommended to casual readers and students of this author alike.

I love this book, Jack London is quite possibly my favorite author, whether it's fiction or non-fiction. It was incredible to read a first-hand account of the struggle of the working class in england, even today this book sheds light on many issues such as poverty/labor laws... one of the coolest features of this book are the black and white photographs!

If you mention Jack London, thoughts are first of "White Fang," "Call of the Wild" or other fictional works. Comments about England's turn of the century East End often lead to tales of another famous Jack. In "The People of the Abyss," London is writing about the East End of London, but it is neither fiction, nor tales of the Ripper.
This narrative takes place in England during the coronation of Edward VII. The British Empire is prosperous and strong, yet poverty is rampant in the nation's capital. Jack London lived in the worst sections of the city to explore this poverty, and then, using newspaper reports, police statistics, and his own experiences and observations shows us the condition of England's human cast-offs. The report is not totally objective, as London's political views do slip into his writing. Still his effort to disguise himself as an out-of-work sailor and live in the East End give us a realistic view of this life.
This book is not for everyone. It is excellent reading if you like factual accounts, are interested in Sociology or history, or are just an Angliophile. . . . . . .. AND if you ARE into Jack the Ripper tales, reading "The People of the Abyss will give you a much clearer picture of the environment in which his crimes take place.

It should be noted that Bernard O'Donnell was the original researcher into D'onston Stephenson,NOT Melvin Harris. Mr.Harris often gets the credit for O'Donnell's work........

I would rate this book up there with "the greats" on the Ripperology reference shelf. Mr. Edwards did an excellent job of organizing his thoughts along with the case facts, making this a very easy and pleasant read. It definitely changed my perspective on how I view certain pieces of evidence in the Ripper murders, (which I won't mention so as to not spoil this book). This is a must read for any person with a greater than normal interest in the case. While I personally don't agree with all of Mr. Edwards theories regarding the "rituals", I do feel that a strong case has been built to show that D'Onston was most likely the infamous Jack the Ripper.

As I read the other two reviews of the book, I can't help but add that although Melvin Harris also came upon this character ( with the invaluable aid of Andy Aliffe...), Harris was NOT the one to display the MOTIVE for these murders with the Vesica Pisces diagram (much like the Zodiac Killer with his (57 degree) radian diagram like the author,Ivor Edwards has. Edwards did an enormous amount of legwork on this great book...real legwork,actually getting out there and well....I don't want to ruin it for you ! I highly recommend this book by a world class criminologist, Ivor Edwards

This Ripper subject is a very unstable, divided, undecided subject,that of recent has become the ridicule of many a serious arguement.But what is cool about this whole thing is the Hitchcock Fans,and the Sherlock Fans get left behind.And may i say there are many books out there that will cater for those who have no real interest in who the Killer of Whitechapel in 1888 really was.But Ivor in his book shows that he clearly is a man on the right track,and i`m not sure that its anything to do with imagination. It`s about the evidence that is there. (You reading the right book mate?)

Mr Edwards clearly states his reasons for having Donston as a serious suspect and these reasons past the tests of what is known of the Ripper.
Unfortunately for the sheep and the diaryists the Ripper story was not solved years ago in between the script pages of a Hitchcock or any other directors movie. Or in the pages of a Sherlock Holmes story. this was an actual event that left serious researchers like Mr Edwards with the spirit to find the answers to this whole puzzle.

And you know what ? I think Ivor Edwards has done a fantastic job. The book is written well. The illustrations are great and anyone who passes this book by, MUST be related to P Cornwell.

Roslyn Donston is a very likely suspect in the Ripper story, and if you want an accurate detailed log on the documents and findings from that period i suggest you put your hands in your pockets for those nuggets and get this excellent publication.

"A keen Ripperologist`s must have book" Tee.
A keen Ripperologist. London

The theory about occult ritual is much better then the masonic ritual theory.I will recommend this book for those who seek occult rituals.The book shows us step by step how the murders ware planned by using a map.And it all will finally come up with a occult symbol where all the victims had been killed in.The suspect in this book is Robert Donston,one who study black magic.If you want to know moore about Donston i recommend The True Face Of Jack The Ripper by Melvin Harris.

This is well produced and it almost has every JTR letter of significance reproduced in colour. Unfortunately there isn't a photo of the important Lusk postcard, and the book was issued apparently before the discovery of the equally important "So now they think I'm a yid" letter. Some of these JTR letters are obviously genuine and this was recognized at the time in (I think) The Times. The authentic letters include the Lusk Letter, the Dr Openshaw Letter, the Lusk Postcard, the Police Commissioner Frazer Postcard, the "So now they think I'm a yid" Letter, the M Baynard Postcard. Like the Goulston Street writing, the killer often signatures his letters with parts of his victims (the Lusk Letter) or with drawings of such (the Frazer Postcard or M Baynard Postcard).

Evans and Skinner present an 8x11 sized 'coffee-table book' containing letters purportedly from Jack the Ripper. The letters included are designated ones that were signed some form of JtR. The authors don't tell you they are faked or real but present them to you so you can analyze them for your own determination. There's no real way of telling if any of them were actually written by the Whitechapel murderer. The biggest bonus of this book is the fantastic photos of the letters; they are simply marvellous (5 stars). The book is worth the price for the photos alone. I found the 'discussion' of the letters dry and lacking of an actual analysis by the authors (3 stars). Also included are sample handwritings from a few Ripper suspects. Looking and comparing these were fascinating and there is quite a resemblence between the first 'Dear Boss' letter signed Jack the Ripper and a sample letter from William Bury; based on these, I'd be pretty suspicious of Bury (although that's not who I believe was the Ripper). Evans does a very good couple of chapters regarding the McCormick book about the Ripper and Dr. Dutton.

Overall, the text is okay for the first 2/3 of the book but then gets better on the McCormick/Dutton, suspects chapters. However, the photos are the real seller of this Jack the Ripper text.

If there wasn't any writing or notes in this book it would still be worth it for the pictures by themselves. The fact that it has a masterful narration is the icing on the cake. There are up close COLOR pictures of the letters that you can read and analyze. It is printed on high quality glossy paper, (not photo paper, but very nice). I bought mine from the used section in new condition. This is a "must have" for any Ripperologist.

Jack the Ripper (Letters From Hell), by co-authors Stewart P. Evans and Keith Skinner, is exactly what it purports to be in the subtitle. It is a discussion of all the letters sent by people purporting to be Jack the Ripper to the newspapers, police and assorted individuals followed by a section printing all of the letters in the police files (there is little variety in the letters themselves showing the lack of imagination shown by most of the copy cat letter writers and this could prove a little dry for some). In addition, this volume is generously filled with photos of the letters themselves. This book is not for the beginner in the Ripper mythology as it focuses strictly on the letters and will be of most interest to those who have a basic understanding of the case already. This volume is a worthy addition to the Ripper books and will keep the legend alive for the next generation.

This book is a fascinating and invaluable tool for looking into the mindset of the London public while the JTR murders were taking place. While I personally believe none of the letters came from the killer (save the possible exception of the Lusk letter), the letters themselves remain fascinating some grotesque and some being very eloquent. At a time when I'm tired of the latest suspect theory being thrown about, this book is a welcome change.