Becker Books

If you've never really understood how to make and keep a budget; if you're kind of vague about how much money you have at any given time; and/or if you never seem to have money for the "big" things you want (never mind, for savings), then this little book is for you. Without being insulting or condescending, author Andy Mayer teaches his readers how to make, keep, and revise (as necessary) a budget, with instructions that are clear, simple, and workable.

The book comes with charts that are especially helpful. Be sure to xerox them before you begin filling them in -- and even better, don't even write on the originals -- so you'll always have blanks when you need them.

In any case, Mayer's method is so simple that within a few hours of first using the book, I had a workable budget, and a real sense of confidence about managing my money. The system is even more fruitful, several weeks later. One caveat, though: this is a how-to -- not a cure-all for those with no self-discipline or willpower. In short, it only works if you do it.

Of all the "Where's Waldo?" take-offs I've seen, this is the cutest. I loved it!

Overall a very good book. The authors try to show the incredible importance of workplace design and offer many examples of well designed workplaces. They are a little weak on empirical backing for some of their claims but all of what they say has at least an intuitive appeal.

Link is a novel that reads very much like a movie, which is no surprise because Becker is a screenwriter. It is not the best adventure novel I have ever read, but it was thought provoking and a little different. If you are a fan of James Rollins type adventure and science fiction I highly recommend it for an escape book that is fun.

Want to be encouraged to question a number of the evolutionary, geological, archaeological and other, miscellaneous scientific truths you've hithertofore held dear? Want to read a ripping yarn full of sexy good guys, devious bad guys, exotic locations, ancient ruins and, yes, KILLER BEES?

Years after first encountering it, I'm still enthralled by Becker's mish-mash of speculative science and thrilling adventures. For page-by-page excitement and minimal eye-rolling, you can't do much better in the Scientist-in-Peril genre than Link.

Mr. Becker does a fantastic job with "Link". The story weaves in and out, telling a great story that envelopes the reader. Fast paced, action packed, with a little love story that even guys could like. Tracing scientific anomolies to logical conclusions, one gets a sense of the possibilities that Becker conveys. While somewhat simplistic at times, the simplicity does not detract from the book; but rather it speeds the read along to conclusion. In the interweaving vein of theories like "Da Vinci Code", "Link" ties together interesting aspects of buried science to spin a tale of fun and thrills that's hard to put down.

A paleoanthropologist, Samantha Colby, discovers a skeleton of a humanoid but not of human origin on a dig in West Africa. Along with this, her team finds a mysterious artifact made-up of a metal not found anywhere on Earth. She brings in Jack Austin into the picture and together they go around the world, trying to find the truth behind the find. They find the answer in the Andes - something not of this world which is the greatest discovery of our ancestors. Full of action, history, thrills and fun. An excellent adventure novel.

When I picked up the book and saw that the action took place in Mali and dealt with paleoanthropology, I just had to have it. To my disappointment, the chapters about Mali are so frought with mistakes(e. g. the Dogon are not a warrior society but peaceful farmers. They don't hop up and down like Massai. The Songhai don't live close to the Dogon but in the North of Mali. Mali is not in Central but in West Africa. Etc. etc.) Add to that the gratuitous violence and hairbrained action about the anthropologists being armed with machine guns and having South African guards. I spent four years in Mali as a Peace Corps volunteer and can guarantee that the author never set foot there or even did careful research. An awful book I don't recommend to anyone.

A good place to start, but you probably want to look for a newer edition.

This home inspection book is an excellent collection of knowledge from a very accomplished licensed professional engineer who is also a home inspector. The book covers a wide variety of topics in a very thorough manner and allows the reader to not feel overwhelmed if they have to inspect a home. A good approach for using this book is to go through the home to see if you like the home. As you go through, note what type of systems are in place (oil furnace, gas hot water heater, etc.). Then read the book to provide some background to better prepare yourself to understand what you see when you inspect the home.
The guy did an excellent job of communicating his years of knowledge into a useful book. If you're going to do your own home inspection, this book should be read. I'm also an engineer and home inspector. It took me years to learn what is compiled in this book.

This book was actually written by the man who founded the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Great information.

this book covers all the topics on home inspection, and its material is ok. except that there is no color pictures, all the photographs are black and white, some of them could be barely seen. that put me off a bit.

If you are looking for a book that will teach you a lot about real estate and home inspections then this is not the book for you. The chapter information and text content of this book was very basic and did not teach me anything I didn't already learn from other books that were much better. Inspecting homes is something I have done for many years and I would not recommend this book to any customers or contractors. If you know absolutely nothing about real estate then you might learn a few things but not too much.

Becker provides a relatively detailed exposition on the history of Korea and how the reign of Kim Jong Il came to be. Unfortunately, the book lacks a coherent organization and is, at times, difficult to follow. It's almost as if he had a set of anecdotes he wanted to include in the book and hastily organized them into chapters. One page he's talking about Italian chefs being flown in with pizza ovens to teach Italian cooking, then suddenly there is discussion of Stalin and Mao.

It's unfortunate because there is good information in this book (I think) and it's an interesting read, but it could really benefit from being written chronologically and just having a better organization overall.

Personally I wouldn't recommend it.

Jasper Becker does an excellent job detailing the rise to power of Kim il Sung and his struggles with the totally psychotic Kim Jong Il.

The book is well written and explores the horrific conditions North Koreans endure as well as the Machiavellian manner that Jong Il treats those close to him.

Becker derives most of his information from interviews with North Koreans who have escaped, but also uses military intel and his own travels there to craft a startling picture.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in NK (I'd also be remiss if I didn't ferverently recommend "Aquariums of Pyongyang, one of the finest books ever written on this subject.)

One caveat comes to mind however: The opening chapter examining what might occur in case of a military strike against NK is just down right hokey, and I'd implore the reader to carry on as it gets much better.

I like the comment from one of the previous reviewers calling Becker a neocon. Well, here are the facts as Becker puts it. We have a dynastic Communist regime that invents history and is pursuing WMD such as nuclear bombs and delivery vehicles like incontinental ballistic missles. However this same regime cannot even feed its people. Still it races to acquire these arms. Ridley answers these questions. The regime will blackmail the rest of the world with these weapons. Since the mid 1990s, literally 2-3 million North Koreans starved to death. Those are facts and realities and the West has to face them.

Becker provides the information and states that the only reality will be regime change. Since the Kim regime will probably not go willingly, it will be bloody. However, the option is to buy this regime off (a la the Barbary Pirates-even though that didn't work well). The West does not have many options. I wish we could put the problem where it started-with the Russians who gave the DPRK the nuclear reactors, the Chinese who still support the regime, and their brothers the ROK who like to talk of a sunshine policy rather than cold hard facts.

This is a good read. However, I would like to comment that the reading could have been better organized. The flow of the book changes quite a bit in each chapter. That said, there is a lot of good info in this book.

Becker has written what is essentially an incredibly long-winded diatribe that is more riddled with assumptions and condemnations than fact. In spite of his years of experience as a foreign correspondent -- or perhaps because of it -- Becker demonstrates an almost utter lack of understanding about North Korea as a country, government and about North Koreans as a people. As he does not speak Korean, his research obviously did not include any Korean primary sources--except for those from North Korean defectors, who are notoriously conservative. It's certainly true that the North Korean government has dug itself into economic collapse and that millions of North Koreans are suffering. It's also true that North Koreans are watched over and sent away (most certainly to prison camps) if they misbehave or are considered disloyal. However, it is one things to report the problems of a country, the corruption in its government, and the suffering of its people from a balanced and well-researched perspective and quite another to lambaste that country with accusations when you neither have the background nor have done the research to warrant doing so. Readers who wish to learn about North Korea would be well-advised to pass on Becker's book and find one written by a Korea specialist who actually knows something about the country.

Firstly, buy the book, you won't be dissapointed.
Although it suffers a little from some editing quirks, it's a great "can't-put-it-down" read. Especially if you want a quick condensed history of the North Korean regime and the absolute "Looney Tunes" that run the country.
If there is even an ounce of truth in any of this book then we need to afraid, very afraid!

After browsing through all the reviews on this novel, the latest in the John Becker series by David Wiltse, I can understand why some readers were so disappointed by the latest (and so far last) in this series.

Wiltse does throw anyone who has read the previous five novels in this series a bit of a curveball by relegating his main characters to secondary (almost supporting) roles in this novel. Additionally the high quality of the first five books in this series does tend to set the bar very high for any thing else that follows them.

This book focuses more on the Una-bomber style villan, an unstable ex-professor named Jason Cole. Because of his perceived lack of recognition and injustices done to him, Cole basically brings New York City to it's knees through carefully planted bombs that take a devastating toll on the city. To complicate matters, Cole has no interest in being bought off by the city, rather he is only interested in the city correcting his perceived injustices.

Added to the mix are a complex array of supporting characters including a wise-guy, a gay hit man, and a very intelligent and ruthless young street thug who all see Cole as a means to a very quick payday. Cole's insistence on sticking to his principles and his lack of any interest in any monetary reward causes numerous complications and makes him that much harder to apprehend.

The book moves swiftly if a bit unexpectedly, and the conclusion does seem a bit forced-and is not your typical happy ending. With Becker however, this is not a totally suprising turn of events.

Although this book is not up to the standards of the rest of this series (all of which I would rate at 4-5 stars) this is still an very good stand alone novel which probably would have worked better outside of this series. The development of the supporting characters and the quick twists and turns of the plot make it a very fast and dramatic read.

Since this book is several years old, I won't bother with a precis of the plot, that having been done by others. But I do want to say how happily I was struck by the author's use of character. That's an ingredient missing all too often in crime fiction. Sure, the plot is twisting and involving and there is plenty of tension, etc, but, almost uniquely, it is all performed by some very real, very complicated characters. I found it quite exceptional.

This seems to be the last of the Becker series which is a crying shame because this one, like all the rest, is sooo good. But then the four Wiltse books that preceded Becker and the two that have followed so far, the Billy Tree books, Heartland and A Hangman's Knot, are just as good. The important thing is to keep the guy writing, anything--and I've just read two of his plays and they, too, are sooo good-- You can read something about the plot in the other reviews, but why bother? Just plunge in and enjoy the crisp, unusual, abundant characterizations, the tension, the suspense, the excitement, the crackling, funny dialogue that are the hallmarks of the Wiltse books (and plays, too, as it turns out.) More, Mr. Wiltse, more! Please?

The book takes place in New York City. What happenes is this guy named Jason Cole is a terrorist, and is blowing up trancars and bridges. He disguises himself as "Spring". He told the FBI that if they didn't give him $5Million in cash then he would blow up the whole New York City. One of the FBI agents named Karen takes matters into her own hands. She decides to pretend to be this women named Robin. She heard of the guy Spring and told him she would like to go on a date with him. He calls her and tells her where to meet him at. So she gets a rental car and buys a new outfit, to fit the description of Robin. She drove to the place spring told her to meet him at. She was waiting at a red light when someone opened the door, got in and another guy had her at gun point. The other guys name is Donny. He had cole tell her where to go. They drove all the way to Ithica, and Donny had the gun to her head the whole time.
Cole made her drive to the middle of nowhere. He had an abandoned house back there. By this time no one knew where Karen was. One of the other agents got information about this "Spring" guy and drove up to his house, the agents name was Meisner. Donny had a feeling someone was there. So he hid until he heard him come near the house. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. "Hello,anyone home"? Cole heard the door open slowly , but he could barely see because of the darkness. Then he heard a shot and donny came running. Then out of coles mouth came an evil laugh.
You'll have to read the book to find out what happens to Karen, Donny, and Spring.
These are the literary elements the author used; Foreshadowing, surprise ending, and conflict.
For foreshadowing he gave hints about spring and you always knew when he was going to blow something else up.
The surprise ending wasn't what I expected it to be. I can't tell you what happens so you'll have to read the book!
and for the conflict spring has a problem with the FBI and wants $5million or he'll blow up the city.
Foreshadowing- The use of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur.
Surprise ending- a conclusion that violates the expectations of the reader.
Conflict- A struggle between opposing forces

I really liked this book because you never knew what was going to happen next unless the author used foreshadowing, it made you wanting to read more.

I've just discovered John Becker and David Wiltse (where have I been?)and what a fortuitous discovery it is! If John Becker is not the most fascinating, complicated, sexy, clever, dangerous--and most interestingly of all--oddly virtuous character in this whole genre, I don't know of any other contenders that even come close. His villains may be be even better. Evil enough even for Dubya's list, but tantalizingly human as well. Most exciting of all for me as a reader is the author's command of the language. The words, the words! This is a genuine writer, not just a potboiler. If Blown Away is any example, I'm going to have a wonderful time with the rest of Mr. Wiltse's work.

Gary Becker certainly has the credentials to bring economics to the masses, with a Nobel Prize in the field and positions at the economics powerhouse of the University of Chicago as well as the Hoover Institution, one of the world's most influential think tanks. Along with his wife Guity Nashat, Becker applies the concepts and principles of economics to a diverse range of issues in this volume, which is a collection of previously released columns.

The result is an informative look at how economics applies to a wider range of issues in our lives, above and beyond the strictly monetary. Becker was a forerunner in this area, applying economic theory to discrimination back when other economists were looking at nothing more than financial figures and projections. Becker's scope is expanded here and the issues range, as the subtitle puts it, from baseball to affirmative action and more.

Unlike some other reviewers, I do not think these essays are dated. Even if some of the specific issues have changed, the concepts remain the same and can be applied to present situations with little editing. Anyone who cannot do so has read only the words of the essays themselves without recognizing the deeper analysis involved.

The biggest problem with THE ECONOMICS OF LIFE is not that it is dated, but rather that it is truly, truly dull. I was attracted to the book because one of my favorite authors, Thomas Sowell, is also an economist who writes columns for a wider, non-academic audience. Certainly I did not expect a clone of Sowell. Yet Sowell has demonstrated that he can make the dismal science a bit less dismal to read. The same cannot be said of Becker, whose brilliance in the field is matched by the dryness with which he articulates it.

This book brings economic theories down to earth. The Beckers are excellent writers and the book is easy to read because it is broken down into short segments. The book would be great as supplementary reading for a principles of economics class.

This is a great read. Although outdated, it still carries lots of potent articles from the man who mastered bringing economics to the masses. Being a collection of short articles, it sometimes leaves you wishing that Becker had gone into more detail with his arguments, though.

Nobel Prize winner Gary Becker published this collection of articles in the mid1990s. Even if dated, the book is a high-quality and straightforward way to understand basic economics and apply economic theory and principles to daily life. Most of the articles are interesting, it is easy to read both in content and length, the writing is consistently fine and the analysis insightful. It also sparked the vast amount of more recent books of the same fashion like Harford's Undercover economist, Landsburg's Armchair economist, Friedman's Hidden order or Leavitt's Freakonomics. Recommended.

The Economics of Life is a good anthology of Becker's short policy papers over the years. As such, it is useful as a supplemental text for introductory microeconomics. Some might find this book dry reading, but it is quite entertaining compared to standard textbooks.

This book should reach a wider audience too. Now that Milton Friedman is gone, Becker is THE leading proponent of Chicago Rational Choice microeconomics. Those who want to understand policy issues should read this book because it is about the easiest way to get a feel for Chicago microeconomics. See also Hidden Order by David Friedman.

Given the controversial nature of this book it has drawn fire, and will continue to do so. While I freely admit that Chicago price theory has limits, it also has useful applications and relevance. Read The Economics of Life first, judge its merits later.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Plath's literary and personal mythology is the need for so many others to give voice and interpretation to a highly educated, highly vocal woman who muted herself. Becker joins the ranks of numerous scholars and critics by putting in her analysis as a friend and admirer of Sylvia. Still, I fail to see how Becker delivered much of worth.

Do we really need this book? No. Did I get it because of my morbid fascination with the lost last days that Hughes relegated to assumption because he burned her final diary entries? Yes. Am I satisfied? By no means.

I agree with several other reviewers who stated this could have better had it been relegated to essay or article format. The book is quite short, especially on the final days of Sylvia Plath's life. It is skimmed over so quickly, with little recollection of actual events that the reader is left with the haunting mood Plath left Becker with on that final night. After these several inadequate pages, Becker explains her thoughts on the funeral (something I had never read about). And then we are taken through a long redundant explanation of how no one could help Sylvia, and Hughes should assume his responsibility for what happened.

Becker brings in a couple of Hughes and Plath's poems to aid her in explaining how she came to some of her conclusions about their relationship. And then Becker delves into which of the two was an anti-Semite(?!). She ends the book with how ironic it was that the feminist movement appropriated Plath as the eternal victim of male aggression and oppression, when in fact Becker thought of her as happy in her feminine roles (she does contradict this point in the text). One interesting line was how Sylvia did not like her name pronounced to rhyme with "math," it should have been pronounced "Plaath."

Maybe I expected too much from such a slim volume. But I think Becker mislead her readers as well. I recommend this only for fans of Sylvia Plath that must read it all--regardless of how good/bad, positive/negative a book may be. Read Sylvia Plath's poetry and prose for a truly rewarding read, her own words serve her best.

Becker helped Plath during the last days of her life. She provided a place to stay and helped with the care of her children. She tells the story of Plath's last few days from the point- of- view of a sympathetic friend. She is critical of Ted Hughes who she blames for the abandonment of Plath. According to Becker Plath was totally broken by this abandonment and could not get herself together.
This is a very sad tale.

This is a short, but very fulfilling look into Sylvia Plath's last days as told by her friend Jillian Becker. It is brutally honest; Becker even speaks of how it became a burden to take care of Sylvia in her last days. It paints a heartbreaking, forward picture of the troubled author's last days. As for why she killed herself, look no further than Plath's hauntingly beautiful poetry and semi-autobiographical The Bell Jar. Long having battled depression, her husband Ted Hughes' infidelities finally pushed her over the edge. Some have also speculated that the combination of medication she was on may have led to suicidal thoughts.

Heart-breaking and informative, this was a compassionate look in Plath's last days that any fan will appreciate.

And if you really want to despise Ted Hughes, check out the biography of his mistress, Assia Wevill who took her own life for reasons not so different than Sylvia's. It is a wonderful biography. It can be found here: Lover of Unreason: Assia Wevill, Sylvia Plath's Rival and Ted Hughes' Doomed Love

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I do find most reviewers glean the wrong thing from this book. Jillian Becker KNEW Sylvia Plath, knew her personally-- went to her home, gathered her belongings, allowed Plath to stay in her home, she even took care of Plath's children when Sylvia could not find the will to do so herself.

Another thing people misunderstand is the notion of suicide. If you are looking for the answer to WHY..the big WHY she "did it" then you have very little understanding of Sylvia herself, depression, and suicide. This book is not going to tie up any loose ends or give anyone anything they didn't have before--that's not what it's supposed to do...
It's a way of filling in the gaps; where the previous biographers, journalists, reporters, only knew the Plath they saw, spoke to, -- that which was reflected in her poetry -- no one really knew her like a good old friend, a friend that Jillian Becker was.

Beware: Becker is very honest, which is a good thing but some may not view it as such.

The book is very short, and rightfully so. Only a small amount of time (I believe it's 3 days or so) is covered here, and that's perfect. The back cover of the book contains a review from "The Independent" (London) which puts it perfectly: "Jillian Becker fits in more good sense and compassion on the subject of Sylvia Plath than books ten times as long."

Best line: "Just as kindness is inadequate, and beauty hard to bear, happiness itself can be intolerable."

In Jillian Becker's Giving Up, she revisits the last moments she spent with her friend, Sylvia Plath. Her memories are solid at times and shaky at others, but she is quick to note when she doesn't recall an event in detail. Giving Up is only 73 pages and I read it in under an hour. Still, Becker's words resonate with the time and thought it took her to get to a point where she can write about her friend from the perspective of someone who shared her last moments. Becker mentions other Plath biographers who asked her to tell them her story, but apparently none did it to her satisfaction or with the degree of accuracy she felt was necessary, causing her to write this little book. As someone who is fascinated with the legend that Sylvia Plath's life and death has become, this book was fulfilling and full of useful information. However, it's not a novel, and Becker's views are definitely skewed to paint Ted Hughes as the bad guy in their marriage as well as the ultimate cause of Plath's untimely death (not a new notion, by any means, but I haven't seen it written before with such malice). That being said, I did think this book was worthwhile for anyone who likes Sylvia Plath and is fascinated by the mystery surrounding her life and death.

Everyone from grandmothers to teenage girls will learn something from the author. Written by a woman, for women, and about women it is full of practical, realistic advice for all situations. Read this book to feel safe and empowered whether traveling, shopping,or working late in the evening.A perfect gift for someone you love whether they are 18 or 80.

Much has progressed in the last 30 years - as naturally it has regressed (A case for this will be left for other sections, other book reviews).

A case in point: A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do. All societies manifest their preferential hierarchy by limiting those of inferior status to defenselessness.

Commonly, this arguement goes that Caesar having his guards could oppress nations for his seurity whereas a slave in possession of the most rudimentary weapon -- for self defense - it could not have been possibly used as armed insurrection) - was considered an offense against the state. Using this logic, some lay claim to the right of unrestricted abilities to repel not simply a single or coupled attack but what amount to hordes of imagined invaders.

As a strong advocate of lifting California's pepper spray restrictions - once a felony - I argued with state legislatures that if prevented from self protection by a useful means - the first strike AGAINST women was accomplished by state legislature itself - holding back a woman's right hand (presumably the one holding the spray canister) which left her to fight single handed against what in many instances is a very determined and trained aggressor. One most men would have some difficulty with.

Naturally the first volley against decriminalization came from well meaning but overly imaginative cops who foretold instance of armed bandits using this non-lethal weapon to more effectually commit criminal acts.

Certainly this has happened - but not nearly to the degree they fantasized about.

A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do informs women of certain options now available to them that were once if not forbidden or at least were socially inappropriate. In the same regressive light, this "inappropriateness" that labeled 30 years ago a "seduction" what we now term rape holds that today "defense" (again assuming the lower social strata) that in an earlier time - say 50 years ago - might have saved countless women's lives and reputations.

I agree with the other "thumbs down" reviewers. This book is full of old info. and I detest its incessant cutesy girl talk demeanor. Frankly, I was shocked that Gavin de Becker endorsed this book. Safety Chick has great PR. That's the main thing I can say she has going for her, at least in terms of this book.

Moreover, taking a few self defense lessons from a self defense pro hardly qualifies one as an expert. Some of her information, particularly regarding self defense, is downright dangerous and shallow - clearly the mark of someone with little experience.

If you want good information on safety and self defense, read Sanford Strong's "Strong On Defense." I also recommend Gavin de Becker's book "The Gift of Fear." If you want to learn practical self defense and rape defense tactics for women, check out the Dr. Ruthless videos - Fierce and Female.

The information, though brief, proves informative, e.g., five pages on self-defense aerosols like pepper sprays (how they work, foams vs. sprays, etc.) feature in the chapter on self-defense products. Other chapters are similarly broken into sections that contain tips for different realms, such as the home (draw the curtains) and work (have security escort you to your car). The advice is thoughtful and comprehensive, and while much is common sense, this book gathers it all in one place.
The information that is given is basically stuff I already knew. I guess you still have to read it to make sure, because there are still people who don't know some of these things. I think it would be a great book for girls age 13-25 to read. Good gift for girls starting High School & College.

This book covers all the basics of women's safety. I am a woman that teaches self-defense seminars to women in local businesses in my area. I always recommend everyone to read this book. There are helpful resources in there for anyone. Not every word will pertain to every person. But if you just get one thing out of the book, then it was worth it. I read negative reviews of this book. For those people, you do not grasp the importance of safety. You are the ones that think "it can never happen to me."
Every woman should read this!