Berg Books

I am going to open with "I really enjoyed this book." I haven't been reading as much lately (thanks a lot 2008 Election!) and now that I can rest easy and get back to my real life...this was a good book to start with.

"Open House" isn't a new story - it's the story of a woman, Sam, who is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce, who finds herself at a crossroads in her life, who is unsure what to do next, and who discovers a new side of herself with the help of old and new friends.

The story has been told before, and will be told again...but there are moments in this book that really made it stand out. The author moves the story along well, and I enjoyed the characters (though they might be a bit stock...gay hairdresser, eccentric mother, husband who finds a new young girlfriend...), but it was the small moments of brilliance that made this book for me.

Some are just funny. After Sam's mother tries to mend her (then) teenager's broken heart with a pair of pedal pushers..."When we were roommates in college, Rita had once asked, extremely gently, if my mother was mentally retarded, "No", I said. "Just...Southern." That was the only explanation I could come up with at the time. And I still make do with it."

Some catch the reader off guard in the most honest of ways. "I wash up and go into my bedroom, intent on reading one of the new books I bought the other day. I turn back the bedclothes, and then, just like that, all the good feeling I've built up that day seems to drain out the soles of my feet. I stand there for a while. And then I get down on my knees, and whisper, Help me into my folded hands."

And "I don't hold Travis (her son) anymore, of course - not to read to him, or for any other reason, either. I wish I'd known that the last time was going to be the last time. But of course that information would have been as painful as this moment."

And "This is my new life: I push pain away all day, and the moment I put my arms down it walks into me and has a seat."

I like that Sam's journey takes a realistic path. Instead of a more traditional denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance...she experiences all of the feelings at different times. As above, she can have a great day and then have that wash away in a moment. She can be experiencing waves of sorrow or guilt and still take a small piece of beauty from a moment.

"I stare wearily at the kitchen table, at the swatch of sunlight that lies over the basket of paper napkins. The pattern on the napkins is illuminated; white-on-white roses. I never saw those roses before. I have lived my life blind."

And gradually, she takes all of these little moments, whether they come from inside or from someone else, and starts to rebuild. "Sometimes I want to say, "It's all right. You don't have to say that. I'm not so sad today." But I never do. Instead, I save his confidence in me as though his words were silver dollars, knotted in a silk scarf and kept hidden in a dresser drawer."

And although most of her emotions are focused on herself and her son...this emotional roller coaster does offer her views of those she loves that she never would have seen otherwise. Her eccentric mother? Turns out she is a woman who just like Sam, has experienced grief and pain, and who did the best she could for her children in the face of it.

"What occurs to me, now, is that what my mother had been doing all that time was weeping. With astonishing quiet. And that when she was done, she'd washed her face, fixed her hair, put on lipstick, and then gone out to the kitchen. She turned the radio on low and then made dinner so that it would be ready when it always was....But what did (she) Veronica do after she put us to bed? I wonder know. And I imagine a mother who took a mask off her face, then pushed hard into a pillow to weep for the loss of her husband, for the loss of the life she was supposed to have, for the only man she ever - I actually gasp, thinking this now - loved."

Disguised as a painful divorce, frustrating and sometimes seemingly impossible to unwrap, this time in Sam's life turns out to be an amazing and incredibly valuable gift.

There are already so many wonderful reviews and descriptions of this book, so I won't ramble. Suffice it to say that this is one of the best books about going through a divorce that I've read. I love that it is so raw and real at times, but still offers hope and inspiration.

I kept waiting for this one to have a point. Didn't seem to find one. Do yourself a favor and save yourself the time.

I don't know if it was this author's style of writing or just the story line itself, but I really couldn't get into this book. It was an enjoyable read, but I prefer to read novels that are more than just enjoyable. I'd probably try this author at least one more time before deciding on whether I like her or not.

I loved this book. Maybe I identify with Sam a little too much, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to relate quite so well if I hadn't been through a very similar break-up experience within the last year. Sure, she's crazy at first. I get that. It's hard to be rational and resilient and cool when the rug has been ripped out from under you and your entire life hurts.

But Sam, like most of us, picks herself up and rebuilds a life for herself and her son, even while aching for her husband David to return and unshatter her world. There are some scenes so funny and a few so sad and each time, I wanted to be there with Sam to laugh and to cry with her and refill the wine glasses or the cereal bowls.

Her friendship with the overweight, temp-job working King is rather refreshing, too. I love him even more than I do Samantha.

Berg does a great job with all the characters in this story, from Sam and David's son, Travis to the often annoying and best friend, Rita to Veronica, Sam's loving but pushy mother to Edward, the hilarious gay roommate who I wish had moved in much sooner!

This book is an easy, enjoyable, comfortable read. It's flannel pj's and red wine and an evening or two with a few new friends you hope can stay forever.

I wanted to like this book because it was supposed to be the personal rememberances of a close friend of the great Katharine Hepburn in her final days.

But this memoir disturbed me. Scott Berg mentioned briefly that he felt like the guy taking care of Norma Desmond and that's when it clicked. In these memoirs, Berg was recreating Sunset Boulevard and the sad, lonely, delusional decline of a fading film star who desperately misses her public in his retelling of the final years of Katharine Hepburn.

The way he described he took care of her made him look more important and big and it made Katharine Hepburn look more insignficant and small. She really looked like a sad, faded, deluded film star who misses her public by the end of the book and this wasn't a pleasant image. I'm not even sure whether it was an accurate one. Kate seemed to have more independence even in her final days.

He does seem to emphasize how he defends his 'Miss Hepburn' mostly against the editors of Esquire and then the smarmy Warren Beatty who wanted to use her for one of his films but to be honest, almost everyone in the book other than himself and Katharine Hepburn come out looking a little sleazy and that doesn't make for pleasant reading. (It also makes you question his accuracy.)

The result of the Norma Desmond comparisons and the lack of any really sympathetic character other than the author and Katharine Hepburn herself made for a slightly sleazy aftertaste and ultimately a supremely disappointing read.

Wonderful insights into the life of this fascinating woman! Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the "Golden Age" of Hollywood.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book.

As several people have already stated, the book is often more about Berg and his reaction to Hepburn, rather than a biography of Hepburn herself. It is often very touching and humorous in certain places, and is well-written enough to sustain interest.

However -- something just didn't feel right about the book. Berg was hardly the first or only person to interview her, so how exactly how did this relationship develop? I couldn't help feeling that Berg was exaggerating the extent of their friendship.

Additionally, I found his description of Kate's final years both depressing and exploitative. Berg seems to believe that he's describing her with respect and dignity, but I just found myself thinking - oh, sure, Hepburn would be THRILLED that all this would be in print. I certainly hope my "friend" would not write about my death that way.

All in all, this book contains interesting tidbits, but you can't help feeling that Berg is either a bit phony or opportunistic.

I had previously read The Making of the African Queen and Me, but Kate Remembered seemed to tie it all together. Actually, I picked up the book at Wal-Mart, on a table sale. Always having been a long-time fan, I grabbed the book and read it in 2 days. I think what comes through a lot, is not just Katharine Hepburn's life, but the relationshipt Scott Berg had with her, perhaps her only real confidante except for Spencer Tracy, and even then, perhaps not him, because she was there for him, not him for her. At any rate, it's a damn good read, and rather poignant at the end. I did shed a tear. Well worth the read.

No person in their right mind could write a biography of Kate and not be personally affected to this degree. The impact she had on Mr. Berg's life and vice versa showed through in even the most intimate of moments between them.

Anyone can find facts and anecdotes just about everywhere these days, but how often can such a personal glimpse offer the reader so much?

Kate came to life in this book. I saw her talking and felt her strong presense throughout. I was once again reminded of why I was such a fan. You can't help but fall a little bit in love with this woman and it shouldn't be a great surprise that even Mr. Berg was taken away by her presense, caring and passion. It shined in every passage.

I'm 58, happily married 19 years to the "perfect" man (older than I am) but with no children of my own and thinking a lot about widowhood and what I would do if I were on my own. This book came into my life now, as I prepare to attend my 40th high school reunion (1968) with my 2 best friends from that era. We live in different states and rarely see each other. I went to our 30th reunion with one of them (last time I saw her) and the other has not been to any of our reunions yet.

This book spoke to me, as if it were written espressly for me. That is the only criticism I might have of it; I'm trying to think of other friends it might help as it has me and can only think of a one or two. Nevertheless, if you know a mid-fifties, childless, married woman, buy her this book and she'll thank you for it.

I loved this book! I've been disappointed by some of Berg's recent books, still believing her first few were the best....Joy School, Durable Goods, etc. But some of her phrasing and descriptions in this book are just breathtakingly beautiful. Of course, some of it is unrealistic, but it's a novel!! I highly recommend it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I agree with C.L. Ferle who stated that this book relates to everyone approaching midlife and wanting or needing to reinvent themselves. The message here is that life is full of starts and stops, beginnings and endings, rolling with the punches and surviving whatever life throws at you. There is light at the end of the tunnel and better days are coming so don't give up. And I don't know of one person who hasn't needed to take comfort in that message at some time in their lives. I love Elizabeth Berg's writing style, the way she sprinkles words of wisdom right into the storyline that stay with you long after you have finished the story and I have a strong feeling that she writes from personal experience. I have just added her to my favorite authors list and I look forward to reading more of her novels. To those critics here who are complaining about the characters being selfish, the story being contrite or unrealistic or whatever other whining they are doing, sorry you didn't "get" it. It's not so much about what Betta did, but rather HOW she managed to pick herself up by her boot-straps when life as she knew it ended.

Unlike some of the reviewers of The Year of Pleasures: I did NOT find the characters (or the setting) "June Clever-ish"; I DON'T think Betta "selfish"; nor did I find the characters too "Goodie-goodie". A recent widow myself, I admired Betta's tenacity in starting a new/different life and not lolling in her grief. Death is a part of life, and life goes on.....why not LIVE it? I agree that Elizabeth Berg DOES speak to one's soul. The psychology/philosophy she "slips" into her stories adds so much to her characters and speaks volumes as to the kind of person the author is......kind, compassionate, and insightful. I discovered her less than a month ago, have read five of her novels and have two "in the wings" waiting to be read.

I was torn between reading the book slowly, to savor it, and reading it quickly, to see how the story developed. I have recommended it to many, and plan to re-read it after I finish "The Art of Mending".

I hope Berg has many more stories where her others came from......I am an ardent fan. Thank you for "hours of pleasures".

What person affter 30 years of her husband doing everything goes up to the first house in the first town she stopped at and knows nothing about, and buys it, full price, after 10 minutes of looking?

The worst was when she phoned a friend after not speaking for 30 years and just reaquainting themselves after 2 short visits "I've got a favor. I want you to take the weekend off, fly down here, and make the girlfriend of a new friend jealous." These women are 50 years old! And then the way she treats that friend when she gets along with Tom. Practically throwing her out of the house.

What a totally selfish woman. Unbelievable.

The other worst was after only months after her absolute perfect husband died she is throwing herself at another man to have sex with him. If she her husband loved him as much as we are led to believe ... There is no way.

I guess there are lots of worst things. Like her relationship with 10! year old Benny who has girlfriend troubles. Benny's mother lets him stay at Betta's house until 9:00 and she hasn't even met him.

Blah BLah Blah. You feel insulted and stupid reading this book. "the things that bring me comfort now are too small to list (but she lists them anyway)... "raspeberries in cream. Sparrows with cocked heads. Shadows of bare limbs..." PLeeeeeeeeeeze!

I've recently discovered Elizabeth Berg and have been greatly moved by 3 of her books. I was really looking forward to this one... though I am married with a child, I certainly do remember the occasional angst of my single days! HOWEVER, this book is SUCH a disappointment. The whole plot is just a cop-out and the protagonist is not very sympathetic. I suspect the book might be based in fact, which I suppose would somewhat redeem it.....

Ill conceived and silly. Really a waste of time - I actually felt that the novel was very depressing. I will not be reading any of Ms. Berg's other novels. Too unrealistic to believe that a gay man would become the love of someone's life and that a person could not move on from this relationship.

I am a huge Berg fan, but this book did not cut it with me. The main character, Patty, is approaching mid-life and desperately wants a child. Ethan was her first love and continues to be "the love of her life." He also loves Patty dearly, so what is the problem? Ethan is gay and his love for Patty is that of a cherised, long-time friend; they feel comfortable together. Patty asks Ethan to impregnate her so they can raise a child but, of course, marriage is out of the question. We are not talking in-vitro fertilization here or anything that might be plausible, but a pregnancy developed by a good old-fashioned "romp in the hay"...or in the case, the bed! Patty gets her wish, she has a baby girl. In the end, Ethan also gets his wish, he finds "the love of his life" in another man. As for the baby, well, we can only hope everything worked out well for her, too, but we will never know because that is where the story ended.

The problem with the book has nothing to do with sexual orientation but the fact the plot and events were just too inconceivably far-fetched. For the past 20 years, two of my very best friends (men) have been in a committed gay relationship. They are literary scholars and avid readers. When I ran the scenario of this book by them to see what their reaction would be, they thought either the book was nuts, I was nuts for reading it...or possibly both. On top of that, the book has a juvenile writing style that makes one wonder where Berg's thought process was when she wrote it. Like Picasso, she must have been going through her "blue period!" Ms. Berg, you missed the mark on this one.

I agree with the other reviewer that said the dialogue was not realistic. I too found myself thinking the same thing, who talks like this? I listened to this on audiobook and the reader made it even worse. She makes Patty sound really stupid (she is, but the reader made it worse) I really couldn't wait for it to be over and I hope I forget it soon.

No need to re-iterate the plot, I just wanted to say that I appreciated the reviewers who shared in the delight of this book. I love Elizabeth Berg's writing style and found this easy read entertaining as well as heartwarming. This book was second only to her later "Say When" which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you're looking for a good vacation book (though you'll probably read it in one-two sittings) this is the one. You'll find yourself chuckling through a few tears.

Elizabeth Berg is my favorite author. When I saw she had a book out I had not read I snatched it up. From the beginning I hated this book. All the characters were undeveloped, unrealistic and Caroline was just flat out annoying. I continued reading although I had no real interest in how the book would end. I mean, nothing really happened throughout the entire book. The end was shocking (out of the blue and blunt) but a welcome relief for me; now I can start something good.

I'm just glad I knew how talented a writer Elizabeth Berg was before I read this atrocity.

I have come to believe that there are no perfect families and no one family runs smoothly. All families are dysfunctional in some way. And so it is with this family created by Elizabeth Berg. I could not help stopping mid-read to reflect on my own family members, friends and self trying to get a better understanding of those I know. This is the second EB book I have read and once again it feels so real and her writing is sooo beautiful.

There are times in the book I do not like the main Character. She was mean as a little girl and while there are many out there and always have been, I hated feeling as if she represented most little girls. This was somehting I was sensitive to but by no means a flaw in the book.

This is a fast read. A well told story.

I was really loving this book from the moment I started reading it. The writing was perfect - interesting enough to tell a story without the annoying overly dramatized language that some other authors use. I found myself very engrossed in the characters (except for the kids - what teenager do you know would describe family, when asked to define what it means, as "slippery?" But I digress...) The author set up the ending so well, and I couldn't wait to see what panned out with Caroline and her mother, and just when I was about to find out -- Berg ended it. I mean, you find out what happens, but I felt there was a lot of build up (pretty much the whole novel!) for not much of anything. I think Berg could have done so much more with their relationship after their meeting, rather than just end the book. Even so, I am very glad I discovered Berg, who obviously is a highly gifted author, and I would still recommend this book to others. I am looking forward to reading her other books.

50-something quilt artist Laura Bartone is forced to confront the secrets that have long haunted her family during their yearly family reunion.
Laura is not so thrilled to attend but she has never missed a reunion and she is also looking forward to seeing her siblings and her parents and enjoy quality time with her hubby and her two kids at the fair.
After their long drive to their parents' place in Minnesota, Laura's sister Caroline comes clean with Laura and their brother Steve, telling them that she has been abused physically by their mother throughout her childhood.
Laura and Steve are shocked, they cannot believe this has happened under their noses with them not noticing a single thing.... They don't believe Caroline at the beginning but as memories come forward they will learn to make their peace with these disturbing confessions from their sister.
To add to the family's tension, Laura's Dad dies and the trip is cut short. Laura stays with her mother and begins to untangle the riddle of conflicting childhood memories.
An entertaining story about family secrets and labyrinths.

And I say Wow because I never saw the end coming, and it did not!

Let me start by saying I am a huge Elizabeth Berg fan, having devoured most of her works, and when I friend lent me her copy of this book, I was eager to begin. However, the more I read, the more I found that I did not like any one of the characters, unusual for an Elizabeth Berg book. I found Laura to be very juvenile and selfish and had to keep reminiding myself that this was a 50- something year old woman, and not a 20 year old one as she was portrayed. The dialogue was unrealistic, especially the conversations between she and her husband--long, drawn out paragraphs of their views on life. And I can also tell you from experience (a friend's not mine, who is a quiltmaker) that one cannot make a living designing quilts, never mind making more than her hardware store owning husband. How the heck much does she charge for these things, and who, in North Dakota would have the dough to cough up for one? Maybe on the East or West Coast, but North Dakota? And then there's Caroline, who I felt sympathy for because she was the most realistic of them all. Just when I thought a heated confrontation was about to take place, where all secrets would be revealed, I was astonished when I turned the page and found the reader's guide! Where's the end? The confrontation to end all confrontations? The book had great potential, however, I got the feeling that deadline needed to be met and was wrapped up in a most sort of warped way. A pity. I gave it so many stars (3) because I must admit, it did keep me going because I was waiting for a revelation that did not come.

This is my first book by Elizabeth Berg, not my last!! I actually laughed outloud! it was great, and you could feel the husbands torment, the fear of starting over.....great book!

WHAT A BORING , NOTHING OF A BOOK.. ANOTHER DUMB WOMAN TRYING TO FIND HERSELF. WHY BOTHER ? HER HUSBAND WAS JUST AS DUMB AND BORING. I CAN'T BELIEVE I FINISHED THIS. IT WAS TORTURE. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THIS AUTHOR IS A BEST SELLER !! ARE YOU SURE ? I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW WHAT I GUESS WAS A "STORY LINE". AFTER THIS STUPID MAN I'M GLAD I DON'T BELIEVE IN SANTA.... HOW IN THE WORLD WOULD A CHILD OF THESE TWO IDIOTS HAVE A CHANCE IN THIS WORLD? NO MORE BOOKS FOR ME BY THIS SO CALLED WRITER. COLOR ME GONE.

This is the work that solidified my opinion not to read any more Elizabeth Berg novels. I read [The Year of Pleasures] and enjoyed it and have since tried a few of her others all with the same result, sheer disappointment.

This novel tells the tale of Ellen, a wishy-washy stay-at-home mom with no real discernable qualities that stand out to the reader. Ellen is unhappy with her life, but unable to fully express why and so leaves her husband, Griffin for a life with an auto mechanic she has known for a few weeks/months. She expects Griffin to move out of their home, and when he does not the two try to stay "roommates" while pursuing other people. Griffin is devastated, but similar to his wife, is unable to express his emotions (except for anger). The two dance around each other and their marriage all while trying out other identities (Griffin as a Santa at the mall and Ellen as a pancake house waitress). The subplot of Griffin working as a mall Santa seemed incredibly tacked on as well as completely unrealistic to me. Why was this added?

The only worthwhile character in the novel is their young daughter, Zoe, whose personality comes shining through. Griffin and Ellen are boring, unsure of who they are and don't seem to stand for anything or have anything of importance to say. While the concept of adultery is very much an adult topic, Berg seems to write for young children. Her characters are black and white and the dialog is trite and repetitive and doesn't really manage to say anything. She doesn't give us a reason to care about these characters at all. I finished this book yesterday and I couldn't remember the name of the main character! That's how forgettable this novel and the characters are.

The novel comes to a haphazard resolution only because it seemed like Berg was ready to end the novel. There is no real resolution, only one that seems slapped together by Berg.

When Elizabeth Berg opened her novel with Griffin knowing about his wife's affair, it led me to believe that I had gotten hold of a juicy novel. Although curiosity about the survival of the marriage kept me reading, I found myself looking for something exciting to happen. It never did. Although I initially enjoyed the interaction that Griffin had with his daughter, it seemed to eventually soak up too much space in the novel. Even though it did portray the healthy bond he had with his little girl, it ended up serving as a distraction from the problems with his wife. It also made me wonder if this book was about Griffin and his wife or Griffin and his daughter.

Estelle, the owner of the restaurant, had such a strong character and personality that it seemed a waste that Griffin only encountered her twice and she was not given a bigger role in the novel. There was so much the author could have done with a character like that! Imagine if she was Griffin's mother. A character like her would have had periodic meltdowns and plenty to say to a daughter-in-law who was stomping all over her son's heart. Now that would have been interesting.

Speaking of interesting, this story left me feeling a little "blahed" out because I thought since this was a novel about infidelity, there would be a little more drama. Although good for light reading, I could not help but wonder if this novel would have left a better impression on me if it had more intensity. Not that I need slashed tires and stalking to keep me riveted, but a plot such as this needs accessories to pick up the pace a little.

Even so, there was something in this novel that gave me pause to ponder. When Elizabeth Berg took us back for a moment to the frame of mind Griffin's wife was in when she decided to marry him years ago, she touched on a choice that many people make in relationships: "Do I follow my heart or my mind? Do I go with the man who ignites true passion within me who does not treat me so well? Or do I stay with the good guy for whom I have no passion?" Griffin's wife stayed with the good guy, got bored, and ended up cheating on him and "falling out of love" with him. That is the risk people take when they move towards the safe route and follow the mind. Although I am not trying to justify her actions, it does compel me to examine her behavior in a less judgmental way and ask myself, "So does that really make her a bad person?"

Then I analyzed Griffin. My initial reaction to his desire to hold onto his wife made me question his good sense. Although Say When compelled me to question when forgiveness merges over into the realm of foolishness, Elizabeth Berg had this skillful way of making me look past that. As I kept reading, I was able to see a love so deep that a man was willing to give a bandaged heart back to the wife who so deeply wounded it. Does that make him stupid, or does that make him a man who not only held fast to his marriage vows, but also completely yielded to the power of unconditional love? This is what makes a marriage work, and it is this kind of love which urges a person to come back to someone who has broken his or her heart. This unconditional love supersedes pride and the pain of being without the other. What a powerful force. This gave me compassion for Griffin and eventually pushed me to root for his marriage.

This was the first book I read by Elizabeth Berg and I knew I had discovered a good author. She is a master at creating memorable characters, yet ones that are simple and real - people you could imagine encountering at your local grocery store or seeing at your child's school concert. This story is unique in that it is told from the husband's point of view, a refreshing tactic for a female author. Griffin, the narrator, is stunned to learn that his wife is leaving him for another man. He did not see this coming and now has a young daughter to care for, as well as a failing marriage to contemplate. His journey of self-discovery is told with simplicity and wit. This was an enjoyable read (despite the sobering subject matter) with a satisfying conclusion.

I think the service is wonderful. I got the book three days later after I ordered it online.

I'm halfway through a biochemistry course using this book (Edition 6).

I care about textbooks. Some really go the extra mile to make concepts accessible and memorable. Not this book.

Berg et al are the opposite of exciting. They fail to provide emphasis and perspective that would help concepts stick. Read Richard Feynman's Physics series to see what exciting teaching is all about. He understands what is amazing and what deserves special treatment, use of analogies, etc.

Berg et al use a very stodgy dry style, I think in an effort to avoid saying anything wrong, which is admirable. Feynman on the other hand is not afraid to make lively oversimplifications, and warns you he is, in order to get the basic concept across. Then he slowly develops the concept to a more sophisticated level, sometimes leaving the original model behind, but that's OK because you take an intuitive path similar to the original scientists discovering the concepts.

Berg et al on the other hand insist on a kind of "top-down" approach where often a subject is introduced with sentences thick with generalizations that make no sense (or only vague sense) until more specific examples or detail is developed later. A little top-down is ok if it is simple and gives you a roadmap. Berg et al do it heavy-handedly, often using terms which have not been defined, leaving you to thumb wildly through previous chapters wondering if you missed something.

Top-down explanations are very appealing to writers who already know the material thoroughly. A best-kept-secret of teaching though is that bottom-up explanations (start with building blocks and work up to complex concepts) is really how powerful learning takes place. It's how the concepts were developed in the first place; it's how we learned in kindergarten.

To be fair, my organic (and inorganic) chemistry background is weak, as perhaps with many biology students. Berg et al assume you know chemistry thoroughly, and that is understandable. But aside from that, the language and writing style is simply dense, dry, and requires you pay close attention to each word in the sentence so you don't misinterpret what is being said. Again, compare it to Feynman's writing. The concepts are not easy in his books, but you really feel caught up in his explanations.

Using Berg/Stryer is exhausting, not what I admire in a textbook. I encourage students to make frequent trips to the index, as quick visits to later chapters may very well help you understand an earlier chapter better (for instance tRNA mechanisms). Or just read it back to front, it might flow better that way :) By the way, I agree with other reviewers that criticize the index as being mediocre (does not indicate where the prime definition of terms are), and in general the authors do not seem to understand the importance of defining terms clearly and emphatically prior to referencing them.

I think often reviewers that give favorable reviews to books such as this already know the material so of course the sentences full of generalizations and undefined terms make perfect sense. However, the true value of a textbook is careful organization, defining of terms, making distinctions, building up of concepts out of simpler ideas, demystifying convoluted concepts, highlighting what is important, and clearly pointing out when simplified results of non-obvious concepts are employed (such as reaction rates, equilibrium constants). This book gets low grades for that kind of teaching.

On the other hand, I've noticed that most biochemistry books just blast you with new substances, sentence after sentence, with little substantiating or clarifying logic, as if you are on a memorization marathon; so I can't suggest a better single alternative at this time. Someone needs to write a book with the approach of imparting a usable set of knowledge with some kind of theme (such as understanding mechanisms to fight cancer). Perhaps the field is just so vast that one must wade in hip deep and muck around for several years until some light begins to dawn. I would like to believe a good book can be written with a building block approach.

The book does get high grades for excellent summaries at the ends of the chapters and additional (but I've seen more) references. The authors take their duties very seriously to present correct and accurate information. They are just not the most gifted writer/teachers to come along.

Great quality as advertised. I would have prefered to receive it a couple of days earlier but it was not late.

The product was better than I asked for! Perfect shape and great deal! Would definately do business with again!!

This book gives the reader an indepth view of Biochemistry. The pictures are helpful and the text is typical of a Biochem book.

I have just finished Faye Kellerman's magnificent historical novel, and the emotion is still with me. There have been many novels, and even more histories, describing the horrors of the Nazi years, but Kellerman, like me, is interested in causes. How did Hitler come to power, and why did Germans support him?

(NOTE: In my first novel,The Heretic (Library of American Fiction), I dealt with the causes of the Spanish Inqisition. In the interests of full disclosure, I must add that Ms. Kellerman gave me a very gracious blurb comment for that book.)

The preface to Straight Into Darkness, written by an unnamed person, establishes a mood of darkness, doom, anti-semitism, woman-demeaning, pro-Hitler, unrepentant anger. "It is simple," he writes. "Germany didn't really lose the Great War ... Blame others, especially blame Jews ... Why should we take responsibility."

Kellerman chooses to tell the story of Hitler's rise to power in Munich in the manner she knows best, a complex detective story that allows her full rein to incorporate the horrors and pressures of the early Hitler years. There are several murders, and more than a few suspects, and the answers lie always just a bit out of reach.

It is interesting to see Kellerman skillfully developing new characters, after years of her detective series, where she and her regular readers know Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus as if they were family members.

In 1930s Munich, there are no heroes, but in Axel Berg and Martin Volker, Kellerman has created two intriguing characters, each competent and with some moral compass, but also seriously flawed, sometimes working together and then in conflict with each other. We don't know until Kellerman's thundering conclusion, which I will not share with you, how each finally resolves his response to those pressures.

"Straight Into Darkness" is Ms. Kellerman's second historical novel, The The Quality of Mercy being the first. I for one hope it is not the last.

Having now published two novels myself --- A Good Conviction, a NYC-based legal thriller which tells the story of a young man wrongly imprisoned in Sing Sing for a murder he did not commit by a Manhattan ADA who may have known he was innocent ... and The Heretic, a historical novel describing the persecution of a family of secret Jews by the Catholic Church on the eve of the Spanish Inquisition --- I have devised a self-education project to help me become more attuned to the techniques and styles of other authors, and thus (hopefully) become a better novelist myself.

"Straight Into Darkness" is one of the novels I've read as part of this self-education project.

I'm organizing my thoughts into various categories relevant to writing, such as ... "beginnings" ... "conflict" ... "characters" ... and others, and I've posted my observations as a blog, which turns out to be a wonderful way for me to organize and retrieve my notes.

This also puts my thinking in the public domain. So if you'd like to see my evolving comments about writing novels, I invite you to take a look at my "Education of a Novelist" blog.

You can reach my blog by searching the web for "weinstein education of a novelist."

LEW WEINSTEIN

I read this book without being prejudiced about Faye and her previous works, this book in my opinion an exceptional fictional experience of the 1920's Germany, The political and social scenario's can be experienced and felt.
You can alost smell Hitler, his Brown Shirts and the streets of Munich.
Hitler's uprise and his impact on the German youth, overall characterization of Munich and depiction of post war depression is what held my attention.
Nicely tied with the murders and lead characters with personalities that almost seem real.
I highly recommend this book - but please note that it contains some disturbing sexual and voilent accounts.

Reading a story about a serial killer set in Munich in 1929, you know there is not much room for a happy ending. The people the killer doesn't kill are going to suffer through a terrible war; if they're Jews, they're going to get gassed.

This is a personal story for Faye Kellerman. She is an Orthodox Jew whose father served in the Second World War and was part of the forces that liberated the concentration camps. She never got his whole story while he was alive, and this fills her with regret. But Straight into Darkness isn't his story, it's an exploration of Munich at the tipping point into Nazism. She did a ton of research for this book, traveling to Munich and meeting with Germans who survived that time. The result is a city that comes to life in sights, sounds, and even smells.

City Homicide Inspector Axel Berg is no hero. He's a persistent cop who doggedly pursues his case. His superior is a power-hungry sadist who values Berg's skills but mistrusts his independence. Meanwhile Berg pilfers evidence and slaps around his teenaged Jewish mistress. Munich in 1929 is a fearful city. It is barely under the rule of law, and the rival political factions are practically private armies, marching around in signature uniforms. The Nazis brownshirts are the most egregious, but there are others who are ready to brawl with them and only the unarmed police are there to prevent mob violence. Times are bad for everyone, with the country emerging from hyperinflation and basic necessities like coal and coffee too expensive for working people to take for granted. If the Jews are responsible for every problem, that takes the responsibility from the government, the police, individuals, and society.

This is an excellent book, with the extra spark provided by Kellerman's passion. Mob-think never goes away, and if we can understand past events with the perspective provided by distance, we are closer to understanding our own time.

Faye Kellerman has made a reputation for herself as a detective novelist, writing books mostly with modern characters, the primary ones being a LA cop and his wife. She's also done some other stuff, one involving strange supernatural events and characters, another a cop thing with her husband, and some years ago she wrote a historical novel set in England several centuries ago.

This current book is a historical novel too, but the main character (Axel Berg) is a police inspector in 1929 Munich. As the story begins, he's confronted with the murder of a young married woman whose body has been found in a large park in the city. From there, things get complicated. A second body is discovered, and while the plot is thickening, we also learn that Axel isn't exactly an angel himself. As if things weren't complicated enough, Hitler and the Nazis try to take advantage of the murders by blaming them on the Jews. Berg's not convinced: whatever else he is, he isn't an anti-semite.

The book operates on a number of levels. Kellerman's handling of the main character and Germans of the era in general is generally fair, and interesting. She doesn't pull any punches with regards to the anti-Semitism (not surprising: she and her husband are both Jewish) but she doesn't make the Jewish characters in the story into saints, or all the Gentiles monsters, either. There are many layers and nuances to the characters, and not all of them are immediately apparent.

I will not one semi-negative thing. The author has several of the characters saying at various points in the book that Hitler was illegitimate. At one point someone recounts that this was in a newspaper, and several of the characters then discuss whether it's the case or not, even adding to the story by saying that Hitler's father married his mother while she was pregnant, to provide legitimacy for the child before he was born. I've never read anything like this in any of the books I've read about Hitler (and I've read more than a few). I have no idea if such things were in the press at the time in Germany, but nothing like this occurs in the modern writing about Hitler.

That said, this is an excellent book. I enjoyed it a great deal. It *is* a bit long, but if you stick with it you'll find it a very good book.

This novel begins with the words of an old artist in New York in the year 2005: "red is the color of shame...the shame of my generation, of a people who accepted genocide as the most expedient way to restore the Fatherland to purity and greatness...[we] must carry the burden of shame and guilt for [our] elders' unspeakable acts."

Straight Into Darkness is set in Munich in 1929 and conveys with accuracy the cultural and political atmosphere of Munich in the years when Hitler's threat was not yet taken seriously. Kellerman decided to write this book after a book promotion tour to Germany in 2001, which led to her discovery of her father Oscar Marder's experiences as a Jewish GI stationed in Germany during World War II. In her preface, she mentions many of the historians of Bavaria and Munich which she consulted in person - the historical facts and descriptions are well integrated into her story for the most part. Her picture of the neighborhoods, the class structure, the architecture and decorating styles of the period, as well as of the squalor of the working classes, is visually and olfactorially involving, making vivid a vanished time.

The police face many moral dilemmas in the course of solving the murder cases, as well as in dealing with the personalities, political beliefs, and demands of their superiors and fellow policemen. The historical setting adds a fascinating layer to these routine conflicts. "So easily I could have become one of them," says the old artist at the end - and as I read, I had to agree. No one's hands are clean in this book, not even Axel Berg's, and yet his choices must be respected. I found Kellerman's treatment of Germans and Jews to be quite evenhanded; she goes into detail to convey the historical roots (the first war's treaties, the Weimar republic, and the fall of the Wittelsbacher dynasty in Bavaria) that led ordinary Munich citizens to be vulnerable to Hitler's rhetoric. I had read the facts - but this book shows us people enraged and humiliated by these events.

Berg dialogues with his teenage son Joachim:
Joachim: "It disturbs me that the Nazis mock anyone who disagrees with them. Sometimes I speak up...but sometimes I don't."
Berg: "Part of being clever, Joachim, is knowing when to hold one's tongue."
Joachim: "But being clever isn't the same as doing the right thing."

Joachim, near the book's end: "I know you don't like Herr Hitler, but he knows the problems that face us. And he's working hard to bring the German race back to glory ----"

Yes, there is a "love story" - Axel loves his wife but has a Jewish mistress, Margot. I cannot remember ever reading such an honest rationale for infidelity as this one:
"Britta was agreeable in bed, warm and enthusiastic - a far better lover than Margot. He strayed not because he lacked desire for his wife. He strayed because of the bitterness of her harsh speech...because his wife's flexibility was morally superior to his rigid stubbornness. He strayed because sex with Margot held no demands."

All that good stuff aside, the search for the murderer involves a tangled web of family relationships that you'd better be awake enough to follow. If you like less complex solutions, you won't be happy with the resolution of the mystery itself. It's not predictable, though! And the ending is not "happy" in the usual sense. The assortment of policemen are sometimes difficult to keep track of, but one stands out - Kommissar Martin Volker - a complex and unforgettable character. At the end, you will discover another reason why the painter paints in red....

Firstly I'm surprised at the rave-reviews that this book has got on amazon. The great reviews drove me to actually use this book to learn websphere. Sadly, I'm very disappointed with the book. (I have previously developed J2EE apps on JBoss, and WebLogic so I was not reading it as a novice reader). Also a disclaimer: I have read the book through online subscription at SafariBooksOnline, some of my criticism may not be applicable to the printed version.

The begin my critique, the book attempts too much while accomplishing very litte. This is a book about J2EE programming with WebSphere, it should have been kept that way. Instead the authors try to provide introduction (at times having errors) for the J2EE technologies and make a complete mess of it. It takes great effort on the part of the reader to gather the core information that relates to programming/configuring WSAD. The book could have been much better if it included more hands-on exercises and cut out the crappy introduction to "enterprise concepts".

Secondly, about the examples. The examples are not complete (they often refer to the CD-ROM and I was reading the book on SafariBooksOnline, so this may not be the case when you buy the printed book). Moreover the explanation is in very high-sounding terms at times which makes it difficult to focus on the point that is being made.

This is definitely not a book for novice; and for the experienced it is a waste of time to sift through loads of nonsense before making any sense of whats written.

I have given it 2 stars because some of the hands-on stuff sections actually worked when I tried them, and the GUI snapshots were helpful.

OK, so this isn't a beginner's text. It has literally thousands (yes, thousands) of typos. Why 5 stars? This is simply the best book on explaining and demonstrating J2EE concepts that I've read, and I've read many.

It's virtually impossible to find this much valuable info in one place. And please, don't bash this book until you've read the whole thing (which you may need to do more than once!).

The code on the CD works. As far as showing incomplete printed examples, do you really want every line of code printed in the book? Given the level of developer this book targets, they strike a fine balance of what goes on the existing 900 pages and what can be browsed on the CD. The only topic I had trouble digesting was their discussion on Mapper Objects (Ch. 16), but it's easy enough to understand the code.

I have yet to find a large technical book without lots of errors. I would rate the editing job on this book as 1.5 stars because of the abundance of seemingly careless typos. However, they're minor annoyances that don't detract from this technically correct marvel of a book. As developers, we need useful information. This book more than delivers and is worth every penny.

The WSAD included is out of date and when I installed the application it would not run. But don't take my word for it. Search the internet for, "The license could not be found. websphere studio application developer 5.0 can not start". (The current version is 5.1.1.)

The IBM web site says to change the date on your PC to May 1, 2005 then install. It does install and will run, but when you reset the date on your PC the license has expired!

Instructions to configure a working database are inaccurate and do not work when followed verbatim. Some of the illustrations and step-by-step instructions no not match the actual screens displayed. The design information is good, but if you are looking for a book to learn how to start using WSAD, this is not the answer.

The title is "Enterprise Java Programming with IBM WebSphere" but the book does not teach you how to programm with IBM WebSphere. The book covers very high level and briefly leaving you in the dark.

The quality of the content is awesome. I am looking forward to the Third Edition.

Cairo McKnight is the daughter of famous but distant archaeologists. Raised by her aunt Phoebe, she visited her parents on archaeological digs each summer. When she was 15, she met and fell in love with 22-year old grad student Duncan Kincaid, who was not that comfortable with a teenager hot on his tail. Five summers later, Duncan proposes and whisks Cairo off to Vegas. And he is gone the next morning.

Her furious parents force her to have the marriage annulled. Cairo realizes that the groom might not have given her a ring, but he did give her something else - a child - which she does not tell him about. Despite numerous letters that have been returned to sender, Duncan still has a soft spot in his heart for the woman that cannot forgive him.

Fast forward five years. While her tour guide business in Central America is in ruins, she enlists Duncan's aid in breathing new life into it. He is currently searching for a lost golden city in a Montana cave. She is also trying to gauge whether to let him know about their very precocious son, Dylan. Meanwhile, they are both realizing that the spark is still there. There is a secondary story involving Duncan's widowed father Graham and Cairo's aunt Phoebe.

Will Duncan forgive Cairo from keeping such a huge secret from him? Will they ever find love? Will Phoebe, who has given up so much to be a mother to Cairo, find a romantic partner in Graham? Will Dylan stop getting into trouble?

It is a sweet and funny story about forgiveness, acceptance and renewal with one of the most gifted (and devilish) four year olds you will ever meet.

While I'm not much for archaeology myself...i did find this book to be very interesting and easy to read. Can't say I blame Cairo for the path she took the first four yrs. of Dylan's life...others may tend to disagree. Duncan was a virtual threat to himself for most of his life..until Cairo stepped in and changed it all for him!

I didn't have any high hopes for this book at first due to a prior experience with this author. I'm not a quitter and rarely give up on reading a book once I started it, but I had to put down "Wife for a Day" after 2 chapters. I couldn't sympathize with the heroine therefore I couldn't get into it.

On the other hand, I really liked this book's heroine and hero. I was always intrigued by archeologists exploring the secrets of ancient history. The hero and heroine of this romance is a pair of archeologists. They were married five years ago. On the night of their marriage, the hero Duncan left his wife to go to Egypt for an archeological find. He ended up in jail and the heroine Cairo annulled their marriage. She was also pregnant and had his son, which Duncan never knew about. She had also gave up exploring and started a tour business. After going through a near fatal accident, Cairo wanted to give his son a chance for having a father. At the same time, she needs to employ a tour guide and Duncan is the perfect person for the job. The story begins when she follows Duncan into a cave in which he's exploring in search of the city of gold. Typically, we see the pair falling in love again and also the problem of revealing to Duncan the presence of his son. Aside from this main pair, there's also a romance between Duncan's crippled father and Cairo's aunt, which I think could be more developed but overall an interesting change from the main storyline. I really enjoyed this book.

This wasn't a terrible book, but I did think the humor was pretty lame and silly. I love romantic comedy, but this just didn't fit my own sense of humor, and the plot struck me as awfully familiar, like this was like pretty much every other romantic comedy from Avon.

I did not buy this book, and for that I am extremely glad (...) My friend lent to me this book and Wife For A Day and I read Wife For A Day first because it sounded like the book that would not be quite as good and I like to save the best for last. Strangely enough, I was very impressed with Wife For A Day and was expecting an even better read when I moved onto the next...unfortunately this is not what I got. I am only right now in the middle of the book and I am debating whether or not I should finish it at all. Lets face it, the characters are boring. The dialogue between them is unrealistic and unintelligent. The plot seems like it was taken from a million other romance novels and Ms. Berg just subbed in the names. In the beginning, when Duncan first sees Cairo in the cave, is he startled to see her? No. It's been 5 years, he was never expecting to see her again, least of all in caves, and all he said was, "What are you doing here, Cairo?" with no feeling whatsoever. And it even mentioned that after Cairo fell and had her palm filled with cactus needles that the jerk liked seeing her in pain. I was not charmed.