Bradley Books

I found this book at a thrift store. It is one of those books I will want to keep. The photos really tell it all even better than the words. It talks to you on every page. It already knows how you've been feeling and what your weaknesses, insecurities, work problems, and strengths are. It tells it all and makes you cheer up and take a fresh approach to life. The photos are worth a million words. It's no ordinary little book. It no ordinary little gift book. It just one of those gems of a book to keep on your coffee table and enjoy talking about and sharing with your company, or sending to a friend who is feeling a little lost in their life. It's a great book. Everyone should have a copy.

I bought this for someone at a time when they were seriously contemplating suicide. This person had basically shut down. It was like nothing was getting through anymore. The Blue Day Book made him genuinely smile. That meant everything in the world to me. I knew he was still in there somewhere. It is now several years later and he is doing well (in case you're wondering). And maybe the book didn't save his life, I mean I can only attribute that to God. But the book is the first thing that was able to shine a light into his endless darkness. I guess it goes without saying that I HIGHLY recommend this wonderful little book.

The Blue Day Book is the ultimate coffee table book. It always lightens my days when I'm feeling down. The pictures are well matched to the sayings.

One has a picture that is a little racy. And the Hallmark version has that picture substituted. The pictures are funny and worth a laugh, but this is definitely for adults. There is a children's version that is equally funny.The Blue Day Book for Kids: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up

If you've got photographer friends, this book will be an inspiration for them. But the black and white photos also provide a great pick-me-up for anyone you know who's down in the dumps.

The volume describes myriad ways in which we all may feel under the weather sometimes--all of them illustrated with fetching postures and facial expressions of a large group from the animal kingdom--polar bears, pigs, lambs, monkeys, mice, dogs, kittens, lions, hippos, camels, sea lions, penguins, pelicans, even an anteater--and so on.

But the bottom line is that life goes on--and that people are "only young once...and never old twice." In other words, pick yourself up and enjoy life to its fullest, despite your blues, while you can.

Fabulous.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

This book is 100% counterintuitive of everything I ever knew about parenting, but it works!! I am the single parent of a teen with a man who does not believe in co-parenting. I thought my daughter and I had a normal parent/child relationship, but when my child finally returned from a visit this summer- severely brainwashed and alienated- it was the techniques in this book that broke down the walls - almost immediately. Now, it didn't cure everything, but it helped me to make that first crucial inroad into her world to try to repair the damage done over the visit by her father and his family who are actively grooming her hate me, actively undermining my authority in my home, all in an attempt to change custody. Since I have already gone down this road with her older sibling, I recognized what is going on behind the scenes early this time around.

I am now in counseling to assist me in changing my parenting style and my child will start with her own counselor soon. It is my sincere hope that between the advice of Dr. Bradley, through his book and website, and professional counseling we can get our relationship back on track. Like every parent all I want is for my child to grow into the best person she can be. Someone with compassion, respect for herself and others, goals, etc.

Thank you, Dr. Bradley, for this lifeline when I thought I was drowning in a sea of confusion, disrespect, personal attacks from all sides, and a growing chasm between myself and my child. Only time will tell what the outcome will be, but I believe we have made a good start. Our home is peaceful again. We laugh together and enjoy each other's company again. She is more respectful of the home boundaries and less prone to sulking because she didn't get her way.

I highly recommend this book.

If you are reading these reviews, then you are most likely the parent of a teen and you need some support right now. I work with teens. I wrote a book for teens. Teens talk to me. Parents of teens talk to me. Most importantly, I am a mom of teens.

What I can tell you is that parenting teens can be HARD. We all know parenting is the hardest job in the world and parenting teens is the hardest part of parenting. Michael Bradley's book, "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!" is worth its weight in gold. I have read it and I recommend it very highly. (Read the whole book, not just parts!)

Bradley supports you with stories that let you know you are not alone in the struggle to grow your teen safely. He uses humor and he doesn't hold any punches, he tells it like it is even though it may be hard to hear.

Be ready for some self-examination. We are doing our best to grow our teens but in the process we are meant to grow as well. You may need to heal some of your own wounds from the way you were raised. You may need to develop new parenting skills. The good news is that you CAN do this. You are not alone. Yes, your teen is crazy AND you can get through this in spectacular ways.

One of the things Bradley wrote that is really sticking with me and that I've shared with a lot of other parents already is that your shining moments as a parent are not the happy, easy times. They are the challenging times when you rise. If you can stay calm in the face of insanity, those are your shining moments as a parent.

Read this book from cover to cover and then do it again as needed. We all fall on our face as parents AND we can get up and try again and do a little better each time.

Big blessings for a great relationship with your teen!

Aunt Laya
Mom to teens, and the author of the self-help book, "You Don't Have to Learn Everything the Hard Way."

Amazing book! It has not only helped me with my 16 year old - but is helping me change my relationship with my 14,10 and 8 year old boys for the better. I've already sent copies to friends with younger children - to give them a head start.

I have read this book cover to cover and I think the book covers pretty much every aspect of parenting teenagers - I've got two in my home. I bought the "Yes, Your Parents are Crazy" for my teens, as well. I wish Dr. would have mentioned something about cell phones, but I think I can figure them out, too with the help of other info. in this book. I have found some excellent ideas in this book and it has definately helped me maintain my inner "dispassionate cop" when dealing with those inevitable teen moments as well as help my sense of humor resurface. I have often been heard saying that there are lots of similarities in raising infants to teenagers including the number of people giving you unsolicitated advice. I think this book provides more then just more advice; it provides prospective.

This book is a Godsend! EVERY parent should read it...if possible, even BEFORE their child enters adolescence! You will gain the key to reaching your child! You will learn what TO DO and sometimes more importantly, what NOT to do regarding your parenting of your adolescent. His insight is REAL and APPLICABLE! You will be rewarded with a rich and mutually beneficial relationship with your child where you both feel respected and valued. This book was remarkable! I couldn't put it down. I am sure I will read it and reread it a few times. It's the closest thing to a how to book I've seen. He is brilliant!

Before approaching the text of Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, I had little realization as to the proper content of his prophetic work. To my former understanding, the text was merely a collection of adulation and reflections upon the American way of life by a French observer in the nineteenth century. Upon reading this abridged version of Democracy in America, I found a much more prophetic text which reflected more upon the cultural impact of democratic institutions than upon the praise which should be attributed thereto. While one may fault de Tocqueville for approaching the democratic world with the cutting eye of a small aristocracy, it is quite evident that he accepted the fact that the human spirit was led to greater democratic tendencies and that such was to be taken almost a priori as the state of the world in his era.

The truly important reflection of the work as a whole comes in the considerations which he places upon the consequences of equality which follows from democratic revolutions. The phenomena of hardy individualism and its potential devolvement into individualism were not lost in his reflections. From this hardy individualism, de Tocqueville feared that humanity in democratic times may tend more toward equality and stability than toward liberty. In this, he not only foresaw the simple tendencies of utilitarian artwork and literature but also the potential destruction of civil associations and the devaluation of individual accomplishment and differentiation. It is this latter point, which seems somewhat paradoxical at first glance, which is perhaps the most prophetic of his reflections. In the process of cultural homogenization and individuation, de Tocqueville foresees that centralization of power will become much more likely as the populace views itself to be nothing more than an accumulation of nearly-identical citizens. Beyond this, his fears of the tyranny which could result by the abandonment of liberties by the people are well founded, for a society which wholly forgets the fact that some human beings can stand out is one which can easily allow itself to be subjected to the capricious desires of a powerful state as liberty is wholly forgotten.

These prophetic words should be read by all reflective Americans as we continue to move toward a larger centralized state and clamor with greater intensity for security in all forms (be it physical or social), for such equalizing security can only come at the cost of the liberties which allow the individual to actually have the worth which we intellectually affirm that he or she has.

As an American living in Europe, I read with great interest Alexis de Tocqueville's book about a European experiencing America.

Like most people, Mr. de Tocqueville started out with a characterization of the United States, believing that the country's early 19th century prosperity was a function of its distance from rivals in Europe. But after his famous trip, he concludes that the real difference comes from each side's view of risk taking. It's an insight as relevant today as it was when it was written.

Mr. de Tocqueville predicted that the growing issue of state's rights would lead to bloodshed (it led to the Civil War -- though he wrongly predicted it would eventually lead to a breakup of the union, he was very nearly right on that point as well); he predicts the fledgling country's industrial rise and its emergence as a true world power; he recognized the symbiotic role between industry and democracy at a time when they were believed to be unrelated. His insights into the American psyche, optimism, and ambition at times seem timelier than most op-ed pieces.

More than a century and a half after it was written, I am hard pressed to conjure the name of a better commentary about America and Americans. It is an astonishing feat considering the brevity of Mr. de Tocqueville's four-month visit, his youth (he was in his early 20s), and early stage of development the country was in. But the result is something that shouldn't be skipped by any serious student of the political and social essence of the United States.

Praising this book is a bit like saying Huckleberry Finn was one of the great American novels - it's a profound statement of the obvious. Even so, it must be said: Alexis de Tocqueville's magnum opus is a brilliant sociological analysis of America, with his genius made all the more evident by how applicable his observations about 1830s America are to its twenty-first century counterpart. Everything from the solidity of America's political infrastructure to the disquieting trend toward anti-intellectualism are explored in this massive work, and his gift of analysis is matched only by his gift for prophecy (can you believe that he predicted a conflict between America and Russia before the rise of Communism?). An amazing book, and necessary reading for anyone who wishes to understand America, rather than merely talk about it.

I have three complaints about this edition of Tocqueville:
1) Nowhere in the book is the translator credited. This violates basic principles of publication and scholarship.
2) This is in fact an abridged version of the original English-language translation by Henry Reeve, dating from sometime before 1862. Unless you want to re-create the experience of a modern Frenchman confronted with de Tocqueville's somewhat archaic French by reading the text in somewhat archaic English, I would seek out any of the more recent translations: there are at least three.
3) The ellipses, that is, the abridgements, have sometimes been made to conceal some of the author's less flattering views America. In fact I suspect this is a "patriotic" abridgement. For example, in the second chapter of part one, Heffner has omitted references to some of the excesses of Puritan law in New England which the notoriously even-handed Tocqueville had cited.

As a former reviewer has stated this edition takes quite a bit of liberty in excising the less flattering aspects of Tocqueville's views of America. In fact the entire section on race-relations has been excised --perhaps it was deemed too controversial? This kind of editing is even more unacceptable in our age of open communications and hopefully open minds. Find another edition.

As the Educational Director for our residency and a practicing internist, I found this to be hands-down the best resource out there as far as a database of old exam questions in prepping the internal medicine boards. We also found that the book to which this is a companion (i.e. Frontrunners Syllabus), was extraordinary in laying out all the key material in a nicely-organized, concise, and outlined format offering "recently and commonly asked material". Together, these 2 books form the core of our own ABIM Certification residency training program and were mission-critical to getting our perfect pass rates last year. [...]

I was looking for a source of old Q&A for all the medicine on the USMLE Step 3. My friend successfully used Frontrunners Internal Medicine Q&A Review for her Step 3 and used it again with equal success on her Internal Medicine Boards. He said there was no better Q&A review for those 2 exams since it's all clinical medicine. I used it and scored well, but what I liked the most was that the questions are kept short and to-the-point so you're able to get thru alot of Q&A in one sitting. Best of all, the Q&A you see in the book are realistic and train your eye to recognize keywords in the question so you can go right to the answer, which is exactly what I did on my boards! Super find. I'm highly recommending.

This was a dynamite review and was a major find for me for my Internal Medicine Boards. From a content point of view, everything I saw on the exam I'd already seen in this Q&A review. A down-to-earth Q&A review with a realistic "this is what you need to know" style that appealed to me. It was the only Q&A review I used and saved me loads of time over other more archaic reviews like mksap and, bottom line, I pass easily.

And that's by getting it and studying the questions. Most of the questions come right out of the boards. I easily passed my I.M. Boards using this along with Frontrunners Syllabus (it's a companion thing). The AudioVisual CDs helped with all the images. So, a solid curriculum. Best one I've seen. An easy 5 stars, but a must for the ABIM exam.

The book is an overdue, refreshing Q&A review that allows you to cover all the same ground in a lot less time. Explanations were to-the-point and just what I had to know. Scored very well using it for my internal medicine boards. As with many of the other reviewers, I got my copy for free when I ordered my Frontrunners I.M. Board Review Syllabus thru the Publisher's 866MDBOARD number which is also on the back of my book.

I found your site just few days before the exam. Then well put studying material, and your
keen knowledge of what to look for was right on target.This is the most
practical and least expensive review I have seen. I am a medicine rounder &
assist.PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE and have recomended your site to the PROGRAM AND
MEDICINE RESIDENTS. GREAT SITE. Your site and material provided was of
great help in passing the ABIM exam for CERTIFICATON EXAM or even RECERTIFICATION EXAM for INTERNAL MEDICINE BOARD's. Your site is the best site for resident physicians and
students. Thank God - I just heard that I
passed the ABIM exam. This was my second attempt. Your web site was very
useful in passing the boards. It has a lot of valuable
information........Thank you, I passed with a great score! I also did quite well. and I PRAISE THE LORD FOR MY
HIGHSCORE. I also did well on my boards without taking any
board review courses. Your site was excellent! Thank you. I passed the Board exam and I scored
over 95th percentile. Your board review material was useful. Highly recommended to any doctor who want to pass there Board's.

Amazing book! Whether you are preparing to take the Internal Medicine boards for the first time or preparing for recertification, this is an

excellent resource. It is well-organized, concise, and comprehensive. Definitely a must-have for anyone interested in internal medicine. Highly

recommend! Thorough, beautifully-organized, and extremely well-written! Get this book....You won't be disappointed! A must have for all the

internal medicine residents!!! Extraordinarilly structured questions and even better explanation focused on the highlight topics in internal

medicine. If you are reading this, you are probably preparing for an ABIM internal medicine exam in addition to all your other duties. There is

never enough time, is there? Well, I was preparing for the ABIM recertification exam, since I'd finished residency. I had slogged through the

Medstudy review book over the course of five months, dutifully going over every page.... Tres painful. There were three weeks left before the

exam, and I figured I'd give this book a try. I quickly discovered how ignorant I was, despite doing the Medstudy book review. My friend taught

me a lot of critical care medicine way back when, and use Frontrunners Internal Medicine Syllabus and Internal Medicine Q&A Review, syllabus

companion for the board review and Turbo Mnemonics. Excellent materials to prepare you to pass the CERTIFICATION EXAM and Recertification exam.

The questions are well-written, and the answers give you really good feedback. The questions are highly relevant, reflecting what the ABIM wants

you to know. I got my pass notice from the ABIM today. I would recommend this book to anyone preparing for the boards.
Definitely a must-have for anyone interested in internal medicine. Highly recommend! Thorough, beautifully-organized, and

extremely well-written! Get this book....You won't be disappointed! Whether you are preparing to take the Internal Medicine boards for the first

time or preparing for recertification, this is an excellent resource. It is well-organized, concise, and comprehensive. The questions are

challenging and pertinent with clear answers that emphasize the teaching point being made. The outline format highlights important points about

each subject. In our program, we are also using this book as a resource for everyday teaching during morning report and other clinical

conferences. Overall, I am very satisfied with this book and highly recommend it!

I was shocked after going through the book.This book is extremely inadequate for boards.you may get other reviews at one-fifth price.

My partner and I studied together this time, as we'd both missed the mark terribly on several prior administrations of the exam. We both passed easily owing in large part to this book. (incidentally, we found the book samples far easier to read (translation: not blurry) and far easier to evaluate from their main site). The outlined and user-friendly layout of the syllabus, with its boxed-in/bolded/starred points really made a huge difference and we saw the starred points ALL over the exam. We also owe our success on the exam to the 1300 Q&A book, which gives a massive number of old exam questions. We also found the Slide Shows (CD) essential for all the image questions, EKGs, etc. Bottom line, we're extremely happy we found this curriculum, and we're equally happy to have this exam behind us (finally). We easily score this curriculum a zealous four thumbs up.

This is a must-have for the I.M. CERT exam. The starred items, my favorites, pointed to recently asked material, which made my studying alot more enjoyable. In my opinion, nothing comes close to Frontrunners' review. My partners used it for their internal medicine RECERT and were equally pleased. As for me, I wouldn't have passed without it. Make sure you get through it at least twice before the exam since there was a load of material on the exam right out of the syllabus. I also went hit all of Frontrunners practice Q&A for the I.M. boards and got both from their www.frontrunners.info website (they had samples there, etc). In my opinion, if you're serious about passing or want to excel, you'd be foolish NOT to get a copy of these, even from a friend, before sitting for the exam.

I agree with the previous reviewers. This book was particularly excellent for my steps 2 &3 for a number of reasons, the main one being that everything's beautifully outlined and intuitively laid out. My favorite resource especially for CK & 3.

A must have for all the internal medicine residents!!!
Extraordinarilly structured questions and even better explanation focused on the highlight topics in internal medicine. The questions are well-written, and the answers give you really good feedback. The questions are highly relevant, reflecting what the ABIM wants you to know. Whether you are preparing to take the Internal Medicine boards for the first time or preparing for recertification, this is an excellent resource. It is well-organized, concise, and comprehensive. The questions are challenging and pertinent with clear answers that emphasize the teaching point being made. The outline format highlights important points about each subject. In our program, we are also using this book as a resource for everyday teaching during morning report and other clinical conferences. Overall, I am very satisfied with this book and highly recommend it!

I am currently in nurse practitioner (NP) school and am studying within the acute/critical care track (ACNP). As a NP student, I believe this book to be a valuable 'quick and dirty' reference. I will be using this as a supplement throughout practice, residency and for my certification boards.

Just finished taking step 2 & 3...I highly recommend NAIL THE BOARDS, The Ultimate Internal Medicine Review for USMLE STEPS 2 & 3 ... , it is concise and, most importantly, the information in the text is relevant to the actual exam. This book is the most current resource reflecting the new changes to USMLE step 2 and 3. The book is up to date and contains all the major topics needed for step 2 & 3. This book contains a lot of excellent contains and summaries that I could not find in any other review book. It seems to be a great companion while doing review questions. I also found this book to be an outstanding source when I prepared for work rounds to teach the interns and students. I can highly recommend this book to all residents. I wish I had it when I started my residency. Great Book!

I initially heard of this book from the 2nd & 3rd year residents in our program. A lot of them used it for their Step 3 and were successful and loved it. I was skeptical at first because this exam was important to me for a number of reasons. In any case, my experience was much the same as theirs, and I did extremely well, as with my predecessors, but I wanted to provide greater detail that I know will help you. I was pleasantly surprised, but at the same time totally relieved, when I sat for the exam because everything I'd studied here was right there on the exam. Specifically, I found the book was incredibly helpful in all of the following areas, which are the key areas required on the exam:

** Associating current complaints with presented history and identifying pertinent factors.
** Interpreting elicited history.
** Interpreting mental status & identifying neuro exam findings
** Interpreting specific physical findings as relates to differential diagnosis
** Knowing appropriate directed physical examination & required technique.
** Recognizing commonly associated pertinent history
** Identifiying risk factors--especially oustanding
** Recognizing signs & symptoms and physical findings

I also found the book super useful for all the lab stuff, specifically:

** Knowing when NO diagnostic or lab studies are indicated
** Knowing which studies to select and when
** Interpreting all the key tests
** Basic lab/diagnostic study algorithms
** Identifying which study/procedure will most likely establish the dx or differentiate it from another
** Predicting the most likely lab or diagnostic test result

Bottom line: I passed easily and I'm thankful to those who recommended this gem. But I also wanted to take a few minutes to "pass" this on to others as well. I know there's a lot of other favorable reviews below, but they really didn't go into much detail. I'd also give a top recommend to the Frontrunners Q&A book which was another treasure trove and landed me a lot of extra points on the exam. As far as I'm concerned, it was the perfect combination.

First, Best or Different is an absolutely excellent book. I first read this book just over a year ago and its helpful insights continue to help me develop great marketing ideas of my own. The topics that are covered are vast and the knowledge provided is in depth but not overwhelming. The structure of the book and short chapters allow for the book to be quickly read and for its knowledge to be passed on quickly. This book is an asset to the thought process of any business person and should be an essential tool in the toolbox of all marketers, from professionals to students. In summary, BUY THIS BOOK! It will make you a better business person.

John Bradley Jackson is the real deal. I've implemented his advice and created a successful niche product. I'll never look at marketing the same way again.

Whether you are an entrepreneur of a small company or an intrapreneur in a big corporation, this book will add value to your pursuits. It provides an extensive coverage of the field of marketing--from the fundamental paradigms to the author's experiences as a marketer.

What I like most about the book is it stays current, especially within the realm of the internet. John's book will be able to elevate or even recreate some of the ideas you currently have.

used as course material in a marketing course, this book has continued my education with the ever changing market today, as i constantly find new ways to apply the learnings into my job as a marketing coordinator.
if you are looking into understanding the complex minds of today's information savvy customers, this book is definitely worth the time to read.
its written in a very direct and easy to read format that most should be able just pick up, and read any specific part that applies to whatever the occasion calls for.

First Best or Different is a book that will enable you to further you and your business, if your business is selling advertising or an off-road manufacturing business. First best or different is easy reading that gets to the point and full of useful information for small, medium, and large businesses. I highly recommend First Best or Different if you are looking for a book that will give you vital information for your business or future business. "Make it Happen"

The book was wonderful from start to finish . ..The love was real and heart touching and made you feel a part of the plot.. . If you liked this book, or want to read one that goes straight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .It is a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful. Stolen Moments is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. It is a spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara does have an exceptional gift!

Spencer Cook, the main character in this book, seems typical of any human searching for truth and meaning in life. He makes subtle but significant changes that allow him to be more fulfilled and satisfied with his life. I personally loved seeing the change that came about from true life experiences. There is potential for more of everything out in the world. The author allows the reader to feel like change and satisfaction is out there for everyone. In this engaging and simple story there is so much to find out about oneself.

I don't get why people are referring to this as "mormon" literature. Because it mentions a bishop and a mission in passing? Maybe they know something I don't. The fact is that this is an inspiring, well written book for anyone at all, regardless of your faith.

I SELDOM PICK A BOOK UP THAT I CAN NOT PUT DOWN,BUT THIS ONE WAS LIKE THAT.. .I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT EACH CHARACTER WAS DOING NEXT!

A BOOK SIMILAR TO THIS THAT READERS WILL LOVE IS STOLEN MOMENTS BY BARBARA JEANNE FISHER. ..IT IS A BEAUTIUFL LOVE STORY THAT TOUCHES THE DEPTH OF ONE'S HEART, WITH EVERY POSSIBLE LOVE KNOWN TO HUMANS IN IT. ..IT IS ONE THAT YOU WILL WANT TO READ OVER AND OVER, AND EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF AGE CAN IDENTIFY WITH.

BOTH GREAT BOOKS.

This book was wonderful and refreshing to read. Unlike the majority of Mormon Fiction, this story is believable. The charaters are well developed and realistic. The story is written so that it entertains and teaches at the same time. I love the philosophical questions that the main charater Specher has. They are questions that any young person asks and attempts to find answers to. This book is perfect for those lazy Thursdays when you are in a thinking mood and need something to indentify with.

What to make of this book? I went into it knowing what the author was trying to do and thinking, "He'll never pull it off." Well, he does. It works because of the time spent building the character of Jimmy Blackburn, a kid growing up abused out in the sticks and trying to make sense of a cruel world. He is so decent he cannot abide the deliberate infliction of pain on helpless victims, be they humans or dogs. So he kills them -- a mean cop, crooked mechanics, a wifebeater, etc.

A masterpiece of black humor, it's also surprisingly touching. Imagine Holden Caulfield as the protagonist of a serial killer novel and you have some idea. This is the ideal novel for the fans of serial killer books, American humor aficinados and dog lovers on your gift list.

BTW, if you are interested in the polar opposite of "Blackburn," check out Shane Stevens "By Reason of Insanity."

...people will wonder what the hell is wrong with you as you literally blurt out roaring, uncontrollable laughter. VERY few other books have ever made me do this, NONE on such a *continuous* basis.
Lest you forget, this is about a serial killer:
"what's so funny?"
(incoherently *try* to quit laughing, regain your composure, and explain why that murder WAS SO FUNNY)...
I read this book a year ago, and it still impacts me as one of the best ever. I read a fair amount, yet most books are so unmemorable to me.
if you want a book that questions the whole polemic issue of "good and evil" i recommend this book. if you want to laugh, ditto.
i'm here searching for it to buy my own copy, because it was that eff-in good (one in a thousand books -- that's how many books i want to re-read, let alone what fraction of that i would buy AFTER I have read it already, if i hadn't bought it in the first place).
I HEART THIS BOOK

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

if he didn't know he had a moral code?
if thoughts could kill, so many of us would be serial murderers.
we'd take out a lot of people having a bad day too

but blackburns victims were all deaths we could root for, especially given our knowledge of Blackburn's inner monologue
poor blackburn, his mission ended too soon.

I read this book in less than eight hours, impossible to put down and hard to forget!

Generally, when a serious book set in modern America features a person who murders twenty people, that person is not the star, you don't find yourself cheering him on, and you aren't sad when the killing spree comes to an end. In Blackburn, Bradley Denton makes all of that happen.

Blackburn follows the life of Jimmy Blackburn, told through a series of nineteen stories spanning his life. The book has an intriguing structure, alternating stories called things like "Victim Number Two" (which is the tantalizing first one) with numbered and named chapters (the second chapter is actually called "One: Blackburn and the Blind Man"). The chapters alternate between "Victim" and "numbered and named" chapters for the rest of the book. I found this structure terribly interesting, especially beginning with "Victim Number Two". For a long time we are left wondering who victim number one was. His father? The bully? Who?

In the book, young Jimmy Blackburn is tormented by his father and various other thugs and shysters. While this formula could be used to make Blackburn into a victim, carrying out his violent deeds because of lingering pain of his childhood, Denton doesn't take it that direction. Instead, the events of Jimmy Blackburn's childhood lead him to an inexorable decision. He will not be a victim, he will be a perpetrator, a righter of wrong, a sticker-up for the downtrodden, an anti-hero. And we are along for the ride, holding on and hoping for the best and knowing it can't end well.

From beginning to end, the book is excellent, compelling, and surprisingly funny. The chapter with the encyclopedia salesman is hilarious, and the chapter with the car repair scam artists is wicked fun. There are lots of dogs along the way. You could make a case that without the dogs there wouldn't have been a story at all. It's hard not to like a guy who likes dogs as much as Blackburn does. Denton even takes some fun shots at himself, inserting an author of a book very much like this one into the narrative. It is, to say the least, interesting when Blackburn confronts him. The most compelling part of the story, though, is when Blackburn runs into another serial killer, only the evil kind. Perhaps it's meaningful that this encounter is the beginning of the end for Blackburn.

Toward the end of the book there is, to me, the most satisfying exchange, so cool that I have to share it here at the risk of spoiling something for someone. It should come as no surprise that Blackburn finds himself in the custody of the police. Here, Blackburn has decided to be forthright with them, but his honesty is not appreciated. There are no good cops in this book. The jerky DPS troopers are escorting him in shackles and handcuffs back to the jail after his preliminary hearing when Blackburn tells them he has killed men, but never a woman. "How many men?" the first trooper asks. "Just so we know how scared we should be," the second says. "Eighteen," Blackburn says. "So far." It helps the excitement of the moment that the exchange takes place in the chapter called "Victim Number Nineteen". Wicked fun.

Blackburn is a great book, funny and exciting and sad. If it doesn't make you cheer for the killer and wail at the unjust world when he doesn't get to kill more people, there's something wrong with you.

I have never written a review before, but felt like I had to say something about the book "Deadstream". I read constantly. Mostly adventure thrillers, and when I read the reviews on Deadstream, I thought I had found a real winner, and while I could not find it in the library or any stores, I gladly paid the $15.00 to buy the book on Amazon. I love Amazon, and this has nothing to do with them. From the first few pages, I felt that the writing was awkward, repetitive and poorly paced. I found myself putting all of my speed reading skills to work. I usually only give a book 50 pages to decide if it's worth continuing to read. This book was difficult to get past the first 25 pages, but based on the reviews, which I am now convinced were written by the author, and or his close friends, I kept on reading, thinking that it would get better and be worth it in the end. When I finally got to the pitifully unsatisfying end, I felt insulted and ripped off. This book has no flow, half of it is written in italics, which became quickly annoying, and spiraled on to an ending which made me angry at myself for not adhering to my 50 page rule. When I finnished Deadstream, I honestly felt insulted. I mean no malice toward the author, but I just felt like I had to write this, so other people reading the reviews would get a more balanced opinion base.

Sleek and nasty. A tense, scary, suspenseful read. I was gripped from line 1 and can't wait for the likely sequel.. well done Bradley T Platt, more of the same please!

Deadstream is a compelling thriller that kept my attention from page one. I really enjoyed the Michigan setting and the story line kept me on the edge of my seat.

Mark Oselka

Deadstream has every element of what a great book should. A gripping tale that would lend itself almost as if it were a true story. The end left me wondering if there may be a sequel. I hope this is the case. I'll be the first in line. If your ready to ride an emotional roller coaster, I highly recommend Deadstream. The end.

A gritty, compelling tale woven with unique style and imagination. Wickedly unpredictable. Creative storytelling with a climactic finish. Highly recommend this fresh, new author.