Q and A Books

Dieses outlet bietet eine sehr gute Zusammenfassung der meissten Aspekte von C++. Es ist kein Anfängertutorial und auch kein Referenzbuch, eignet sich aber sehr gut zum Nachschlagen.

Die Erklärungen sind, im Vergleich mit anderen Büchern, kurz und sehr gut ausgeführt, zusätzlich bietet es noch viele Beispiele zur Vertiefung. Es ist in einfachem, leicht verständlichem Englisch geschrieben. Durch das praktische Format kann man es auch leichter mitnehmen als 1000 seitige Wälzer.

Besonders für die guten Erklärungen und den Preis vergebe ich die vollen Punkte.

The book is good but it doesnt cover struct's and unions. unions are worth there weight in gold in data i/o programming. The book has not got a mistake on it as the "Shaun G Pearson of nova scotia put it". Its using the newer C++ library and is part of it. (...) I suppose the book doesn't want to go to far into C stuff. C is essential to writing clear and concise code in C++. But at the price the book is at its a good buy. I've got it.

Very informative introduction to C++. I was new to C++ and most textbooks are hard to understand and hence requires a teacher to explain everything. I started reading it halfway through the course and got a C+ when I was expecting an F.

This is an excellent supplement to most of the college level textbooks in C++ programming. Many authors of C++ textbooks are taken up by the apparent need to illustrate complex object oriented concepts (lest Java be seen as the alpha and omega in object oriented languages)with long winded "case studies" or "programming projects" that seem contrived (see any book by Deitel for examples of such.)Some other authors think that their exercises and examples are places to showcase their ingenuity and possession of programming tricks (see Daniel Liang's "Displaying A Pyramid Of Numbers" in Chapter 3 of Introduction to JAVA Programming, Comprehensive Version, 5th Edition, as an example of such.) But what about simple exercises to see if you've mastered the basics of arrays, loops, and simple functions? Let's face it, it will be a couple of years before you'll be asked to work on the code for an ATM machine (Deitel), in the meantime buy this book and focus on the basics.

Who referred to this book having mistakes:

They seem to be stuck in the stone ages of C programming.

Since the new ANSI standard came out, (which compilers are still attempting to catch up to), header files have not used a .h extension, C Standard library headers have been renamed and so on.

Every negative point the person makes indicates a complete lack of knowledge, especially accurate knowledge of the C++ standard.

As such that review should be completely and utterly disregarded.

This book is definitely head and shoulders above the crap that people like Herb Schildt have been putting out.

Thanks.

This is the original Potter story. I prefer this illustrator to all that I have seen try to update the classic. I used this with Kindergartens to teach story grammar. It is still a winner with little kids to this day.

I bought this for some young friends of mine (3 and 4.5 yrs), knowing that it is a classic that they should know about and will enjoy--just as I did at their age.

The story of a young, gregarious and voracious rodent who can't stop himself from pigging out in a human's vegie garden. Lucky for him, he avoids the usual and deserved case of rabbits when they become pests, and no shotgun pellets for this little critter, as he finally wises up to himself a bit.

That is, until Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 2, anyway.

Love all of Miss Potters stories! Currently in the process of purchasing all of her books. They make a great addtion to the library. The books are small but beautiful!

Enchanted by the images of the Movie "B. Potter" I liked to hold this little great book made for children of all ages and which contains words and drawings of a person and a world with much more pure feelings than this one we're living.The Tale of Peter Rabbit (The World of Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit)

This is a book set in the 1980's and 90's and it's written in 4 voices: the writer's, the editor's, the critic's and the reader's.
I had to stop and think at several points in this novel and even read passages to my friend in order to discuss further what the meanings were. It was startling to read the description of America in it's founding days. A place of peace, land to farm, freedom from taxes and oppression. Wow, look at us now.

The writer...what a lot of work to accomplish a feat that I merely pick up and read. I get to take it for granted, read it and move on.

I loved the 2nd voice the most...how the editor came to be and the power she owned. If she hadn't owned her power and if she let herself be swayed, look what wouldn't have happened. I love that power and seek for it in myself. As with most successful people in the novel, I noticed with longing that they were mentored at critical points in their lives, in guidance, advice, financial, and key opportunties in order to turn out so well. Oh to have had those same experiences in my life. It made me think of a podcast I listened to where a man was saying that we need to nurture our children ... every one of them... because we are missing so much in this world had they lived up to their potential in their later years. And I selfishly ask, what about me? Who could I have been?

And then the voice of the critic...It had me coming and going. So many viewpoints to consider. Is pop culture the doom of our society? Could we make it without poets and true artistic thinking? Is that the human force behind our societies?

Which person/voice most resonates within myself? The writer, the editor, the critic or the reader? What would it be like to have had this kind of education and surroundings in my life? I was heartsick at the editor's boyfriend. So much talent wasted because he couldn't analyze himself enough to find a way to make a difference. He wanted to write the novel and yet he was more of a teacher and critic. Same with the critic, Karl Streibert. Publishing houses are inundated with wannabe writer's works who have yet to learn what their real role/strength is in the literary world. Writing seems so easy in a naive kind of way, but read this novel and then decide. There are many wonderful ways to experience the written word as this novel shows.

It was a pleasure to vicariously taste of it all in this book. THANK YOU Mr Michener!

I believe Michener has succeeded in doing precisely what one of his characters advises against: writing a novel about something abstract. "The Novel" is not about its characters at all, but about itself and the craft. Both a great read and something I would recommend to all those who aspire to be novelists.

After having seen James Michener's thick books with single-word titles in my local library for years, I thought it was about time that I acquainted myself with this author. I'm not sure why I picked this book among the dozen or so that were on the shelf, and in hindsight I'm sure it wasn't his best work. Frankly, it was a rather strange book in many respects. Although I'm not altogether disappointed in the book, I doubt it is highly representative of Michener's work in general. This book struck me as an anomaly, even though I haven't read anything else by him to compare it against. Frankly, if all his books read this way, I doubt seriously he would have garnered much popular appeal.

In "The Novel," Michener gives us a fictitious novelist by the name of Marcus Yoder who is in the process of publishing his eighth and final novel after honing his craft over the better part of his lifetime. Yoder recounts in first person narrative format his slow and often uncertain rise from obscurity to worldwide fame writing novels about his own people, the Pennsylvania Dutch. Parts 2, 3, and 4 of the book provide a similar perspective of Yoder's work and career, but as told in their own words by his editor, a critic, and one of his readers, respectively. Michener also links the four main characters to one another through personal relationships, not just Yoder's novels. It all makes for an interesting read, but certainly nothing I could characterize as "riveting."

I don't know if Michener's over-arching purpose was to provide aspiring writers with an inside look at the publishing industry, but that's certainly part of what is imparted here. But I also got the strong sense that the main character in the book - Yoder - was modeled somewhat after Michener himself: an unpretentious fellow who is more concerned with giving his money away than in making more, and who writes because that is "what he does" rather than as a purely utilitarian way to put food on the table. Thus, I suspect that if someone wants to know about Michener the man, not Michener the novelist, this would be the appropriate book - short of a biography.

I suppose maybe I was expecting a book more along the lines of an Alex Haley novel like "Hotel," but Michener gives us something here that moves much slower, without only sparing amounts of drama and action. Nothing wrong with that, but just not what I was expecting. I don't think that it is a stretch to imagine that Michener has given us his own thoughts in this book about what a novel should be. I imagined not Marcus Yoder or the other characters in this book imparting their lifetime of wisdom about publishing, but Michener himself. Michener clearly gives us his imagination in this book, but I think that he has given us at least an equal measure of his own thoughts. The result was an education in the publishing industry without the drudgery or condescending voice of a tutorial.

Another thing worth mentioning: Michener was 84 years old when he wrote this book and it shows. Not in the way you might expect, however. He displays a razor sharp mind as well as a keen observation of people in general and the publishing industry in particular - there's simply no hint here of a man waning in his intellectual prowess. Instead, where I saw his years betraying themselves was in the dialog he gave his characters. The only ones that rang true were the 60-something Yoder and his wife, along with the matriarchal "Reader" we're given in section 4 of this book. All the other characters were 20-, 30-, and 40-somethings who talked like they'd stepped out of some time warp when FDR was in the White House. It was quite comical, really. I imagined college kids and campuses as they were when Rudy Vallee was crooning - not Madonna.

Without question, the book bogs down in section 3 where we're given "the critic's" view of the world in general and Yoder in particular. This is the part of the book where Michener's intellect came through most tellingly - he wouldn't have been able to create a credible character without a grasp of the world as viewed through the rarified air of critics and their circle of intellectual elites. But it was also the part of the book that tried too hard to impress us with Michener's cleverness and mastery of world literature. It was also in this section, as well as section 4, that Michener gave us numerous glimpses of his own rather well-known liberal political leanings based on the way he crafted certain characters and cast them not as snobs but as the truly enlightened.

In the end, the characters in the story I found most worthy of our respect and emulation were Yoder and his wife. Simple people, telling simple stories, that simple people can enjoy. I was left wondering whether Michener identified more with Yoder or the critic. I've concluded that he was basically a Yoder, but wanted to show us in this book that he has the mental horsepower of the critic and brilliant academic.

Personally, when it comes to books, I'd much rather read the Yoders of the world - little critical acclaim but fun to read - than the snobbish "critically acclaimed" stuff. This book was probably somewhere in between those two extremes - surely not Michener at his best, but Michener trying to make a statement. As such, it isn't for everyone. I'm a better person for having read it, but had this been the first book he authored, there was little here that would have kept me coming back for more.

Many people have commented that this book tends to move a little slowly, or that it's abstract, or that it's got some odd experimental features. All true.


SPOILER ALERT - DON'T READ BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK YET.



But this is the whole point of the book. The Novel is the book that he's wring about in the Novel, only slight more novelized. Get it? It's an amazingly clever literary trick. I think the reader is meant to discover this about 1/2 way through the book, and when read with this perspective it takes on a whole different flavor.

The publishing world as it was a few short years ago appears at center stage in this book, not - as its title might indicate - the creative process that results in a work of fiction. Kinetic Press, a fictitious New York publishing house, can easily be considered the book's main character.

Lukas Yoder, whose voice carries the first of four segments (there are no chapter divisions), has finally produced a best seller after dismal numbers for his first four books have nearly caused Kinetic to refuse him further publication. His editor's insistence that if Yoder goes, so does she, is all that's given him the chance to see Book #5 in print. But that book's a runaway. Now Yoder is finishing the manuscript of Book #6, which he declares must be his last. He's past 60, and Emma - the beloved wife who supported him, both financially and emotionally, though all the years when his writing went nowhere - welcomes this announcement. She can't stand another "seige," as she puts it.

THE NOVEL's second segment belongs to Yvonne Marmelle, Yoder's editor. Born to a "genteel poor" Jewish family tied to New York City's garment district, she enters the publishing industry out of genuine love for books and works her way from beginning go-fer to senior editor with Lukas Yoder's first novel as her debut assignment.

Karl Strieber, professor at the local college that graduated Yoder, aspires to become a respected critic. Like so many other literary scholars, he also hungers to publish his own novel. In the book's third segment, Strieber's voice carries the reader through his experiences and entwines his life with the lives of his neighbor Lukas Yoder and their shared editor, Yvonne Marmelle.

The book's fourth and final segment takes on the voice of Jane Garland, a wealthy widow for whom good books are one of life's passions. She already loves local author Yoder's novels, and meets critic Strieber when her brilliant grandson becomes Strieber's student. When young Timothy also is published by Kinetic, with Yvonne Marmelle as his editor, Mrs. Garland and Ms. Marmelle strike up a friendship that's tested by tragedy as THE NOVEL reaches its unexpectedly dramatic climax.

Although much of this book consists of character study, I turned its pages with consistent pleasure. It's rich and insightful, and often wickedly funny, too. I was impressed that Michener spoke as a prophet for his profession, when he admitted that an author writing in the 1990s - just before the electronic publishing industry, driven by popular use of the Internet, took off - couldn't begin to guess how books would be published in the next century. My only quibble is one that has nothing to do with Michener. Whoever wrote the promotional copy for THE NOVEL spoke of a mysterious threat, and promised that Jane Garland would hold the key to solving this mystery. Not quite an accurate description of the plot! In fact, rather a misleading one. But that's not the author's doing, and THE NOVEL is wonderful reading.

I truly was amazed by this book, I couldn't put it down. After reading this book had to get author's other book. Looking forward to other stories by the author. Truly a gem.

Reading the summary of this book completely peeked my interest. After sitting and reading it over the couse of a week - my brain is screaming complete disappointment.

Approximatly 70% of this book is comprised of recycled plots. Plots we've seen on tv (L-Word, Tois,) the other comes from the imagination of a potential non-lesbian. The remaining 30% was very well written. The plots were amazing and very creative.

Overall the book is poorly written, the dialogue sucks, plots predictable and very far fetched -- all in all... i'm amazed the author is published. I was extremely disappointed in some of the stereotypical references and situations in the book. One of the associations between molestation and the homoseuality is borderline dangerous. I didnt care for this book at all. Save you're money - unless the book is being sold for $3 used.

I can't down this book, it was well written, but wasnt for me. Being that I am straight it took me forever to finish this book. I wasn't feeling it. But the author done a good job, keep up the good work for those that are interested.

Great book to read couldn't put it down and it is a true page turner that will have you wanting more and more as you go on. The stories are truly short and may keep you attention reminding you of some locations in such vivid detail...like the story about the couple that hooks up during Black Gay Pride in ATL on a business trip...excellent story....or the story of the two studs Dom & Dommer...the book is a great read. Enjoyed!

I just got the book and I have read the first three chapters in one day. I really love this book. Its raw, edgy and it's has a creative flow that keeps the reader wanting more. This book portrays Black lesbian life in its rarest form: REAL! Some of the things going on in the book, I have experienced or no someone who has went through something similar. Its a MUST HAVE! MS. Brown is moving up on my list of favorite lesbian authors! Five STARS!!!! I can't wait to read the next book! BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO!!!

I was really excited to read the book. It was just too boring at the beginning, but it warmed up towards the middle and the end.

Talk about tedious, it was work to get through the 400 some pages of this book. It started off okay, but the plot became lame and boring. It was predictable, and really nothing much happened. There was absolutely no character development with most of the main characters, really it did not make me care about or understand them at all. The Mathew character was just plain ridiculous, and not believable at all, why was he still a virgin, and so spineless. Toni, a stripper and turning tricks for funds when she had a drug-dealing boyfriend. She had no sense and neither did the author when he wrote this trash. Next....

This is my second novel I've read by Erick S. Gray. The first being Booty Call, that was a so-so read. But with Ghetto Heaven it's clear the writer found his nitch. Showing both sides of the world of money and power: the legal way and the illegal way. Though, I felt the last few chapters were muddle, he didn't disappoint with the characterization on each character within the book. After the disappearance of Tec, Sheeks prison death, and some what uncertainty with Toni and Mathew new found relationship--I questioned if this book will become a sequel. If so, I would hope he doesn't loose any magic like he did with this one.

this was a very well written book by one of my up and coming favorite author. I read his latest book "Taste Like Candy" eariler and was very impress that I had to go back and look up some of his other books he wrote before. while this book was not as good as "Taste Like Candy" it keep me very interested in the storyline until the end.

This book was like Crash meets Pretty Woman...it was excellent. The author really took you through different types of characters and diversity and explained the different walks of life that each individual was going through. Toni, I loved her character and her relationship with the totally opposite and rich boy, Mathew. It goes to show that opposite does attract, and just because you're from differen sides of the track, love is still the same. I felt so sorry for Vinita, at first I hated her character and thought that she was a terrible friend, but as the book read on and you saw what had happened to her in the past, it definitely explained why she felt the way she felt, and why she was acting like a straight up bitch. She had a terrible secret that she held within her for seven years, and when she finally found love...it was just snatched away from her like life itself. And Tec, he was straight gangsta and I wanted to know what happened to him at the end, cuz the author kinda left you hanging with his character, so I believe there will be a sequal to this book. But overall, Ghetto Heaven is an excellent, excellent read, and the author broke down so many things in this book that I actually read it in two days straight. It was hard to put down and I love his style of writing. He is so real and tells wonderful and thougthful stories. Mr. Gray, keep doing your thang. You are truly talanted and blessed with the pen.

Please don't wear your political hat when you judge this book. Whether or not you agree with Mr Ashcroft, you must agree this book provides insider details that are intriguing. Ashcroft spends much of the book vigorously defending the PATRIOT act, with numerous success stories of its use in the war on terror. I think many of these stories have escaped the proper attention that the press should have given them. Mr Ashcroft also provides interesting accounts of his interactions with political enemies in the senate. I found it amusing that some senators would be so vicious in front of the TV cameras, yet cordial with Ashcroft off camera. One thing missing in this book is Ashcroft's views on the war in Iraq, although I would be surprised if he isn't 100% behind the President.

One final thought... Mr Ashcroft comes across as an old fashioned gentleman with good character. I suppose he would value that more than any political accomplishment over his lifetime.

My first impression on reading the book is that John Ashcroft is a true American hero. A man of insight, good judgment and integrity.

My second impression is that the book is unusually well written and edited. In just 294 pages (hardbook edition), he tells the story of his time as Attorney General, and makes very powerful points about steps that he took (that were not previously taken) to improve our internal security. Especially impressive (and clear) is his description of the problem of the "wall" between criminal and subversive surveillance operations, which he fought to tear down.

I recommend you read the other reviews here to get a fuller flavor of the book and Mr. Ashcroft (which include less favorable views of both), then I recommend that you buy the book, read it, and decide for yourself.

Never Again is very badly written, meaning that Ashcroft probably wrote it himself, as ghost writers are more experienced. The bad writing does its best to support nonsensical ideas. Worst of all, much of the book consists of Ashcroft whining and crying about how anything that doesn't go 100% his way is the fault of various other people such as the media, democrats, "liberal" groups, etc., while avoiding all personal responsibility. This is a terrible book, thats probably why i found it at a 99cent store.

Must read for all Americans. Will help you understand
how it is that we were attacked on 911, what prevented
our law enforcement agencies from protecting us & how that
was rectified to a large extent by The Patriot Act
and the efforts of those entrusted with our protection
from future attacks. Even those concerned with our civil
should read this book so they can see that every effort
was made to protect our rights & at the same time, prevent
another such attack.

I HAVE JUST FINISHED READING ÅSCROFT'S BOOK. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. IT IS A REAL SPY THRILLER. WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MR. JOHN ASCROFT. HE COMES ACROSS AS SINCERE, CARING, PATRIOTIC, SELFLESS, SPIRITUAL, INTELLIGENT AND A TRUE AMERICAN. NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THE KINDS OF ATTACKS THAT HE SUFFERED THROUGH. I SAY GOD BLESS HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND GIVE HIM SOME PEACE.

The cold war between pro-capitalist and pro-communist spooks is trasplanted into the killing fields of Reformation Holy Roman Empire by the collective of writers known as Luther Blisset. The story attempts to follow the careers of a radical protestant and an underground member of the inquisition ("Q") for over 30 years, as they circle and try to dispose of each other. The set-pieces (the battle of Frankenhausen, the revolution in Leyden) are well-told, but most of the characters are not well-defined and so it is difficult to care for them.

It is as if though the characters are an excuse to retell the history of the times. That wouldn't be so bad, except that the history is not fairly told. The authors obviously intended the radical fringe of early protestantism as a metaphor for radical leftist revolutionaries of the XX Century. This impression is heightened if one considers the attachments to the book, which besides a few pictures of the main characters, includes instruments of torture of right-wing or pro-Western governments of recent times.

In reality Thomas Müntzer, the radical theologician that led the German peasants into senseless slaughter at Frankenhausen was not an idealist who wanted to redeem the masses, but a millennarian prophet who cared more about destroying the old world than about creating a new one (see Cohn's "The Pursuit of the Millennium" for a fascinating review of Müntzer in the context of a very old tradition of religious radicals that actually reaches to our very day), whose rethoric of bloody extermination of opponents strikes a reader as very similar to that of Stalinists in the show trials of the 1930s. And it is surely ridiculous to attribute the failure of the Münster Anabaptists not to sectarian politics but to manipulation by popish agent-provocateurs as appears in this book. This is a common accusation among radical left groups, who are inclined to impute their inability to get along and work together to divisive actions by obscure class-enemies or imperialists.

In fact, the hagiographic presentation of Müntzer is a dead giveaway of where this book is coming from: East German history presented this enemy of both Pope and Luther as a proto-Marxist, and in fact the largest painting in the world refers to Müntzer at the battle of Frankenhausen and is titled "Bourgeouis Revolution in Germany", painted by Werner Tübke, and commissioned by the East German leadership (400 feet long, 45 feet high, and still around, in its special built-to-purpose museum) prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The analogy between radical reformers and XX century Marxist revolutionaries is not subtly evinced, and it is a pity, for subtleness would have had more impact on the readers.

The book is not only manichean in its portrayal of good, but misguided revolutionaries and an all-powerful and a malignant Catholic Church (represented by Cardinal Gianpietro Carafa, later elected Pope and known as Paul IV) where political calculations trump all religious commitment (as evidenced by s fictitious conversation with Cardinal del Monte who acknowledges his essential agreement with reform partisans, but indicates that he will be unable to do anything about it since he has just been elected Pope). It is also very defficient in character portrayal (as already noted, all characters sound the same), and has a a tenuous plot (it ties together many episodes that in reality were not connected, so that the parts of the book are greater than the whole). On the other hand, these episodes are so thrilling in themselves, and so little known about them by most people, that even a mediocre novel such as this one may be defended on the grounds that maybe some of the readers will be interested in learning more and finding out the truth. If you would like to know more about this era and can be bothered to take up a hefty but wonderful book, don't bother with this one. Go for Diarmaid McCullough's "The Reformation", which tells the whole story in a readable fashion, and without hidden agendas.

Anyone who has coped with Dorothy Dunnett's two series of historical novels can easily cope with this one, but other readers expecting a quick exciting historic romance will be frustrated and disappointed.

I enjoyed it; it was one of the best new historical novels I've read in a long time, but the criticisms about anachronistic language, lack of differentiation of characters by language (both due apparently to a problematic translation, and I doubt I'd have the patience to try the original Italian), and the jumping back and forth from action to reminiscence, which took me a while to get the hang of, all could make it difficult for many readers. But the period of history interests me and I have background in theology and history of the Reformation, which helped. A page turner it isn't; I could only take it in hour long sessions. Still, I enjoyed it and don't regret the 5 days working through it, since lack of good offerings lately has reduced me to re-reading old favorites.

In general, I'd rank it below Dunnett, Mary Stewart's Merlin saga, and Ken Follett (I've just read World without End, and reread Pillars of the Earth - and recommend both.)

Set in Reformation Europe between 1525 and 1555, Q is a historical novel of breathtaking proportions. Our narrator is a soul-searching wanderer who goes by many names (most notably Gert from the Well [in Muenster] and Titian [in Italy]) and who casts his lot with the rebels who have decided to fight authority in many of that era's pivotal, and bloody, conflicts. From the Peasants' War to the siege of Anabaptist Muenster to the Italian Inquisition, our hero thrives as an itinerant rabble-rouser -- a dreamer who sides with the underdogs not only as a matter of principle but as a matter of what it means to be alive in such heady times.

Bearing witness to this era through our narrator's eyes is a revelation: it allows us to get a *feel* for what the Reformation and its attendant social movements might have meant for the many different people -- bohemians, "heretics," the poor -- who understood this as an opportunity to change the course of their everyday lives. Thus forsaking rote "historical accuracy" and "period-accurate dialogue," Q succeeds as a historical *novel* in the way it amplifies the deeply held convictions, motivations, and beliefs that fluorished among the oppressed during the Reformation's bloodiest years.

Q is also just a great tale of espionage and intrigue. While the reader may be confused at first as to how the papal informer's letters and observations bear on our narrator's journeys, these characters' intertwining fate eventually emerges as one of the book's most powerful themes. Indeed, one of the more interesting aspects of the novel is how Q, the informer, starts off as a relatively flat character (a professional spy through and through) but then comes into his own in the last third of the book with more personal reflections about his life and work.

To conclude, I have to say that reviews that castigate this book for not being historically accurate baffle me. We read historical *fiction* not to point out factual minutiae but to take a pause from our present lives and dwell in some moment from the past. Historical fiction doesn't court nitpicky, holier-than-thou factual assertions -- it gives us emotional and intellectual *motivation* to want to explore the past in a deep and engaged way. In this regard, I believe that Q is a rousing success and one of the best historical novels to have been published in recent years.

I bought this book (English edition) in Rome several years ago, not realizing it was a translation from the Italian. I read it once then; it wasn't easy.
I've just read it again, and it was a little easier this time. I've only now realized how great it is, and I'm trying to find it in Italian. I definitely will read it again some time, in Italian if possible.
I don't know if it's really the "greatest novel ever written", as one reviewer said, but I can understand why (s)he said that.

The people who wrote negative reviews about this book simply have no clue. I agree that there are some jarring anachronisms of speech in the translation, but it's a trivial flaw. I would imagine that rebellious peasants, soldiers, criminals, brothel keepers, did swear a lot, just as in this book, just as in the Nixon White House, just as on "Deadwood", and if they didn't say "wtf" they certainly said something equivalent. They may not have said things like "touched a live nerve", but who cares? And remember, it's a translation for frak's sake! (And I would say, an excellent translation; I'm just saying, while you're picking nits, don't blame the authors for the trivial pecadilloes of the translation).

The number of times our hero changes his name, identity and location, along with the interleaving of Q and the polynomial hero, and the interleaving of different times-- those things do make it difficult, especially if you are, as I was and as some of these negative reviewers obviously are, utterly clueless about the history under consideration. Probably if you know a little about it it's not quite so difficult.

That's why it went better for me this time. Also, this time around there's Wikipedia, and a lot of other useful sources of information about things like the Diet of Worms, Council of Trent, Cardinal Carafa, and so on, and I consulted them frequently during this reading, so my knowledge of this history is greatly enhanced, in a way that never would have happened otherwise.

It's true that many of the characters-- and there are a lot of characters-- aren't developed, but that makes sense given the way the book is structured. Or maybe it's even a flaw, but a minor one. This novel contains riches of a kind you won't find in most novels. It is difficult, but extremely well worth it.

Negative comments in other reviews all relate to the reader's preexisting expectations of the novel based on some shallow comparison to U.E., for example. I will not insult the quality of this novel with this sort of comparison. Pick it up. Read it. For those accostomed to reading Dan Brown, this will take more time and effort on the part of the reader, but it is worth it. This book has the potential to alter your world-view.

This book is an amazing tool for my all Medical School class collectively, it will be a vital piece of my USMLE study regimen.

Thank you so much for this book. It was in perfect condition and arrived on time.

All I can say is that every DO/MD student needs this book. I use it in class and for Step prep. It's great.

On page 35 the book states,".....given the rising concern about an oversupply of physicians in this country...."

ABSOLUTE NONSENSE and dangerously UNTRUE!!!!

Go to the AMA website ( or Google) and search the following "physician shortage" and see for yourself.

I have reproduced the latest result from the AMA below.
February 18, 2008 (published)

San Jose Mercury News
Letter to the editor

To the Editor:

Patients around the country are feeling the effects of a looming physician shortage. The government predicts a shortage of 85,000 physicians by 2020, just as baby boomers are entering Medicare. The scheduled Medicare cuts would force physicians to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat. Cuts will begin in July unless Congress takes action. Already, 30 percent of Medicare patients who are looking say they are having trouble finding a primary care physician. Congress must stop these cuts, which would make an already bad situation worse.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cyril M. Hetsko
AMA Board of Trustees


I hope that the rest of the book is better... In the mean time I simply have to express my protest in the most effective way I can ...and yes I did write to the folks at First Aid. Was there an ulterior motive behind this? I don't know and maybe Yale Medicine and UCSF elitism and arrogance had some part to play. That's where the authors are from.

To review FA in FA style:

All you need to PASS:
Memorize and Understand every page

All you need to be AVERAGE:
Above + Kaplan Qbank / USMLEWorld / NBME exams

All you need to ACE:
Above + Robbins Review of Pathology (big robbins) + 6 mos + 150IQ

I really looked forward to reading this urban tale. I found it a bit disappointing, it was just not what I expected. In my opinion the story line was a bit vague revolving around Steve and then with his costly decisions causing him mishap and mayhem not to mention his philandering wife. On the flip side the end of the book did restore my confidence with the surprise ending. So, not the very worse, and not the absolute best.

Although I must say that this book was quite long It was also a great read which held my attention from start to finish.The plot was great and I enjoyed the characters(even the scandolous ones!)The ending was a shocker as well.BUT I would have like to have known the reactions of Michelle,Byron,Big Steve,Tosha and Angela to what happened to Melody and Larry at the end.I hope the author brings back Michelle's character in a future novel because homegirl was cold in this story!
Also,I could have cared less about Big Steve's experiences in jail,the author could have saved us readers alot of time by not even getting to deep in that,cause Melody had all the drama and thats where the focus should have remained!

I loved Samuel L. Hair's "Someone Else's Puddin'. Meet hairstylist Melody Pullman who is married to Big Steve Pullman. They were married at a young age and Big Steve falls victim to the streets. Instead of Melody supporting her husband she turns to her married client husband for comfort, financial support and a whole lot of loving. She is playing in dangerous ground. Will she get caught slipping while dipping in someone's else's puddin. You will have to read this book to find out what happens.

This book is a definite must read. I read this book in two days, could not put it down!!!

This book started out with a great story line but I feel it was all over the place. I think the author combined two books in one,Big Steve's book and Melody's book because there was really no connection between the two but a bunch of unanswered letters. I think the book would have been a lot better had the author centered on a smaller group of people instead of the whole Riverside crack scene,and Prostitutes,and everyone in prison. Mr. Hair good try.

This depiction of Lorrie's life prior to, with, and shortly after Keith will stay with you forever. You will listen to her music (and his music) from a different and enlightened perspective. You will have a profound respect for Lorrie, too, once you finish reading this book. She is a real trooper. A must-have for all Lorrie fans and anyone wanting to know more about Lorrie and/or Keith Whitley.

this is a good book to read but wasnt wrote that great' i dont think it was... keith whitley is my favorite singer. and i like some of lorries stuff aswell.. but i feel there is some stuff that should remain private even if you are famous... doesnt matter... but then i guess like the saying goes to each his own... now i know its hard to go through things she went through. but its a he did this- she did that kinda deal and no one is perfect...kellysherman

I found this book interesting. I found it unique as an autobiography, as I've never read one quite like it. Usually when I read these, they are filled with scandals and controversy. Sure there is a bit of that in here, but Lorrie Morgan writes this from her heart it seems. Of course you can't believe everything, authors of autobiographies want to write the book from their perspective and present in the best light, whatever way they want to. Lorrie chose to write this book about her great love with Keith Whitley, a fine country singer that was gone too soon. She recalls their relationship, which in fact when you read about it, seems much longer than it really was, which was 3 years. When she met him he was married, so she thought "hands off" but soon enough he was divorced and they were together. Their love story is sweet in the beginning, however later in the book it becomes more and more complex and confusing, as to why she'd stay with him. Keith Whitley was an alcoholic. She says she was so in love with him and that it wasn't as bad as it sounds, that there was still some great moments. She goes into great detail about his drinking binges, visits to the porn stores, his treatments, his career versus hers, and more. The events surrounding his death were complicated, as her career was just taking off and she was required to do some promotional work, and Keith ended up having an affair, and overdosing on alcohol, and ultimately dying. As well she talks candidly about growing up and finding herself. You call tell this love was very real and she very much loved him, but was love enough for this couple? Overall it's a slow starter but worth the effort to read, especially if you are a fan of Lorrie's.

I'm an avid reader and I have to say this is the most poorly written book I have ever read. Specifically the writing style was disjointed, uneven and childish. If you manage to continue reading through lorries choppy, confusing writing you will find that Lorrie portrays Keith as a drunken, cheating porn-addicted hillbilly. She always paints herself as the perfect loving, caring wife. I find it interesting that this person who would have the reader believe that the failing marriage was totally Keiths fault is currently working on her 5th failed marriage.

This is one of those books that you wish you could give 0 stars to. I say this not because I'm a huge whitley fan, but because the writing is sloppy, forced and ridiculously insincere. I bought the book hoping to get some insights about the late country music star. Instead I got some sort of public relations attempt by Lorrie Morgan.

This is the first book I've ever reviewed on Amazon but felt the need to express my opinion since I read other peoples before buying.
This book is very poorly written, almost like teenager diary entries. It is poorly worded and I agree with other reviewers, some things are meant to be kept private.
Maybe Lorrie needed to tell her story & maybe this was her therapy because she needed to heal BUT don't spend money buying it! She reads the audio book herself, but again very disappointing!
I am an avid Keith Whitley fan and have listened to Lorrie a lot as well, but it is rather one-sided and immature.