Burke Books

A former Moscow bureau chief for "Newsweek," Cullen offers a bleak picture of the new Russia in this 1994 novel of international intrigue.

While reporting on stalled Arab-Israeli peace talks in Moscow, Colin Burke, savvy correspondent for an American weekly newsmagazine, is sent on the trail of a story broken by CNN - the Syrians are recruiting nuclear scientists from Russia. At the same time his editor wants a feature on the Moscow Jewish community.

The latter assignment leads to a beautiful Israeli woman Burke immediately suspects is an Israeli agent. But Burke suspects everyone - overfriendly Russian journalists, his sources, his neighbors.

The former assignment leads to a shadowy Arab, a massage and sex club and one of Russia's "secret" industrial cities, where he browbeats a Russian scientist into admitting he's sold out to Syria. But when Burke goes back for photos, the scientist has disappeared and a source is murdered.

There's plenty of drab Moscow color and gritty hardship amid the swirling puzzle of truths, deceptions and cynicism. Burke is sharp and the occasional hole in the plot appears with the reader's unwillingness to believe this veteran could be so easily led. But Cullen puts his feel for Moscow and the workaday news biz together with a jaded but conscientious journalist to produce a well-written and absorbing novel of suspense.

Robert Cullen's previous book The Killer Department was a terrific true examination of the difficulty of tracking down a serial killer in a Soviet Union which denied the possibility that Communist Society could produce such a being.

His novel Cover Story is several years old and appears to be out of print, which is a shame because it couldn't be any more topical. A veteran magazine journalist is covering a Middle East Peace mediation in Moscow that is being hosted by Gorbachev and Jimmy Carter. He begins investigating the rumor that Syria has obtained nuclear weapons and soon stumbles into an attempt to use Arab fronts to hire Russian nuclear physicists for Haffez Assad's bomb program. All the while his efforts are shadowed by an Israeli teacher who seems to be working for the Mossad and a neophyte Russian journalist who seems to be working for Russian intelligence.

With the vivid depiction of a crumbling Russia, Middle East peace talks and renegade nuclear programs, the plot could be taken from today's headlines. Cullen drops in a couple twists & hastens the action along to a satisfying conclusion

GRADE: B+

Gave me great ideas on involving families, setting up my classroom and setting developmental goals for children.

If you are looking for a cookbook of activity ideas, this is NOT the book for you! However, if you are looking for a good overview of appropriate practice with preschool children, this book does a valid job of covering the philosophy of early childhood education, setting developmental goals and the ages & stages between 3-5, involving families in the program, different areas of a classroom and how to put it all together.

Easy to read format, good examples & graphics, would be useful for staff inservice.

For a non lawyer and starting a partnership, this book was great for me to start to get the tax aspect understanding. The book constantly references the statutes which is good for me so I can cross reference.

The book simplifies tax concepts and condenses them so that the students has a better understanding of the subject.

You could say that author/screenwriter Anita Loos invented the chick-lit genre. Her entertainingly fluffy satire "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" certainly fits the bill, with its love-seeking heroine and amusing jokes. It never dips far below the surface, but its lightness is part of its appeal.

"A gentleman friend and I were dining at the Ritz last evening and he said that if I took a pencil and a paper and put down all of my thoughts it would make a book." Meet Lorelei Lee, a pretty blonde socialite with a love of jewels, men, and luxury. She has a married boyfriend, but is convinced to go abroad so her name won't be "smirched."

So Lorelei and her pal Dorothy head off to Europe, bumping into exalted people (like "Dr. Froyd") and winning the hearts of wealthy men, in between days-long parties. Gold-digging, millionaires, money and love all get wrapped up in the tangle of Lorelei's everyday life...

Lorelei first appeared in Harper's Bazaar, and a short story stretched out into a full-length novel that appeared in serials. A first edition sold out almost instantly. Now Lorelei has countless descendents -- sure, those determined gals have been updated for the twenty-first century, with jobs and Web access. But light women's fiction could be seen to stem from Loos's novel.

A satirical edge runs through "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," poking fun at the jazzy gals whom Loos had to deal with regularly. Loos doesn't spare anything -- the book is riddled with intentional typos, like "encyclopediacs," "safires" and "maskerades" (yet she can spell "champagne"). The shallowness of the flappers is best shown in straight-faced jokes about the latest Parisian styles of buttons. Loos's satire doesn't bite down to the bone, but it does scratch lightly in a deliciously catty way.

Lorelei has an entertaining mix of determination, idiocy, and a constant belief in her own towering intellect. She's so much fun it's hard not to like her, in spite of the fact that she's an utter airhead. She talks matter-of-factly about how she has "almost one of everything" (diamond-wise), and tries to reform the entire world (without success, needless to say).

Gentlemen may prefer blondes, and people seeking a fun light read may prefer "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." If you are in the mood for vintage chick-lit, Loos's witty little novel is a fun diversion.

The reader tells Lorelei's diary-story with an openness, a directness that charms the listener. This is a real Lorelei, not a cartoon, and therefore even funnier.

I found this book to be helpful in developing rubrics of a simple nature. Sufficient for high school observation lists. Keep it handy.

This was the book for one of my college courses, and it was very useful. I am going to purchase the book so I am able to take it with me wherever I teach.

John Hudson Tiner dones a fine job of writing this easy reading book of Kepler's life. I cannot comment on how well he makes the subject matter easy to understand for the intended audience, since I am not experienced in that area, but I can tell it is a great book for high school and older -- a book written for young people that adults can read without feeling like it is written beneath them. One great feature of this book, and other books by Tiner in this series, is the fact that he explains scientific facts in such a way that those not familiar with them can gain an understanding of some of the contributions of this man to astronomy. Pictures, some from Kepler's works, throughout the book make the book even more valuable.

Any biography on Kepler is not true to the man if his faith and science are separated. Raised in a less than ideal family situation, Kepler lived in incredible times so far as the fighting over religious beliefs is concerned. Though he held firmly to and held dearly his own faith and gave up much because of it, he did not wish to become involved in the fighting over it. He also freely acknowledged that God gained glory from whatever scientific study he did.

Kepler's contribution to astonomy was immense. As an example, he was provided with much needed observational data from Tycho that allowed him to determine the orbital path of Mars (around the Sun). This opened the door to determine the orbital path of other heavenly bodies as well. At one point he was motivated to discover the truth about the heavenly bodies to help dispel the superstition that caused his own mother to be tried inappropriately as a witch.

This book provides a good starting point for learning about the life of Kepler. Such reading is wholesome and inspiring and good for teaching excellent values in life. To continue my study of Kepler, I am presently reading the book on him titled Kepler by Max Casper, Dover pub., 1993, a book clearly written for adults which includes much more detail. Tiner's book was a good preliminary for this latter book.

John Hudson Tiner's Johannes Kepler: Giant of Faith and Science is a biography that recounts Kepler's life in a simplistic and easy-to-follow way. The entire story is documented in major "chapters" of Kepler's life, and each event is described with commentary and dialogue between Kepler and the other prevalent characters. Not only are Kepler's scientific works covered, but his struggles with the church and society are also described.

Johannes Kepler was a giant of science as well as faith. One cannot understand the history of science without understand those who are behind in. In doing so, the author makes a valuable contribution to those wish to understand not only science but the interplay between science and society.

This book is a good elementary description of Kepler's life, but for someone who is looking for an in-depth and sophisticated opinion may find it lacking. However, it certainly is suitable for younger students or anyone just wanting a quick read. One thumb up :o)

I decided to read this book solely because Alafair Burke is the daughter of James Lee Burke, the master of the crime genre. Also, it would seem, she is something of a family favourite, JLB having named the daughter of his main character 'Alafair' in his long running Robicheaux series. Alafair Burke has now written 3 Samantha Kincaid novels and looks like writing a whole slew more, so it was a pleasure to give her series a hit out.

Alafair Burke's first offering is set in Portland, Oregon. Her main character, Sam Kincaid, is an assistant DA. This makes the book more a legal procedural and this point of view is very welcome: many of the established series set in law enforcement place their main characters in the police force or as private investigators. The job of the DA's office is to take the work of the police and ensure the evidence is sufficiently kosher to enable successful prosecution.

Living in Australia, I think I have a better idea of how the American justice system works than I do of my own, including the differences in laws between the different states (at least in the states where the crime series I read are set!). I don't know whether this is sad or not, but at least I'm KEEN! Over here we do not have DAs for example, although we do have a Department of Public Prosecutions. I imagine any reader from outside the US has a similar sense of peripheral perception, but we get used to it especially when it comes to good crime series.

This book focuses on Sam Kincaid's involvement in a case where a 13 year old heroin using child prostitue is grievously assaulted and left for dead by 2 men. There is quickly a suspect for Kincaid to prosecute, but the case becomes more complicated when an older and similar murder is revitalised and the spectre of a serial killer begins to materialise.

My main criticism of the book revolves around the plot's clunkiness. I think this is mainly due to the fact that it IS the first in a series, and number one always seems to have these kind of problems. Burke is keen and she knows her stuff and some of it gets quite complicated. However some of the Oregon law enforcement acronyms are not explained and the US justice system does love its acronyms, all slightly different from state to state. I was also champing at the bit about the identity of the second attacker, Burke is mute on this for much of the book.

Further I found some difficulty with the character of Kendra Martin, the 13 year old victim, who was not quite 3-dimensional. Some of the story's importance revolves around the state Kendra was in when the police interviewed her after her attack. She had supposedly been given a shot of Narcan to counteract the effects of the heroin found in her system, something that usually leaves addicts furious and hell bent on only one thing: getting more immediately. She wasn't quite believable as an addict either then, or in her later behaviour. Even after 'only' 9 months of use, she would, I believe, have pursued her drug lifestyle a little more vehemently even after this gruesome attack, especially with the lack of family support Burke creates for her. Kendra is really quite 'tame'.

Outside of that, Burke has created some strong characters; her love interest Chuck who is also a cop on the Major Crimes Unit, her newly widowed Dad, her friend Grace and her dog Vinnie. It must be overwhelming setting up a series and getting all your ducks in a row. The criticisms I have of the book never made me want to put it down, just hope that Burke can iron everything out to keep the series rolling. And it appears she has done just that. I've just picked up 'Close Case' and its a cracker.

I believe Burke's main audience, readers of crime fiction series, will exercise patience with this book and she will pick up other fans as the series gets stronger. I for one welcome her and her character and the setting onto the scene and will be looking out for more of her Sam Kincaid series.

Judgment Calls is the debut thriller audiobook about a seemingly simple assault case that leads to a prostitution ring of underage girls and a possible serial killer. Set in the dark side of Portland, Judgment Calls follows Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid, as she is called upon following the brutal assault of a thirteen-year-old girl left for dead. Author Alafair Burke, himself a former deputy district attorney and now a teacher of criminal law, reveals her inside knowledge of the justice system in this stunning and unnerving saga. 10 CDs, 9 hours 45 minutes, tracks every 3 minutes for easy bookmarking.

I am not a fan of soap operas but the life of Baby Doe Tabor reads something like one and I found it fascinating. A rags to riches to rags true story that draws you in from start to finish. There is something about the person of Baby Doe that just draws you in and leaves you thinking about her long after the book is finished. I bought this book in 1993 on a trip to Colorado and I still pick it up from time to time and re-read it. The story of Horace and Baby Doe Tabor would make a great movie, and one was made in 1932 called Silver Dollar, sadly it is not available for home video. A good read.

The story of Baby Doe is worth reading. This well written account dramatically tells the story of her rise and fall in wealth and her personal and public lives. Anyone who appreciates stories of the American power mongers of the late 19th century will enjoy this insightful biography

Set in New Orleans at the end of the 19th century, "Maggie's Amerikay" is a story of two American experiences: Africans and other forced into the country for slavery, and the Irish, immigrating because of English oppression and its cousin, Irish poverty. Although told from the Irish girl's perspective, it shows the reciprocal distrust of two communities, born and reinforced by their mutual poverty, competition, and similar marginal status.

Maggie's father owns a pushcart shop, and vows that his daughter will never work in a factory: The way out is education. However, her mother considers this impractical, and wants Maggie working now. When Maggie's mother must stay home when her youngest daughter contracts Yellow Fever, it's clear that another wage earner is needed; Maggie goes to work in a cigar factory. Meanwhile, young Nathan, the grandson of a former slave, helps his family at their produce stand. He and his mom encounter Maggie and her father, and it's clear that both parties have been warned about the other.

Music, in the form of a cornet that Maggie's father owns, eventually brings Maggie and Nathan together (although author Russell's attempt to make "Da's" gift to Nathan a surprise is initially difficult to follow). A grateful Nathan gets Maggie a better job, one that will use her schooling: Transcribing his grandfather's oral history about slavery. Filled with interesting facts about daily challenges of the poor, the book also deals with much larger themes: Following one's dreams vs. practicality; the importance of owning land, and, to some extent, the similarities and differences between African Americans and the immigrants.

Maggie and Nathan share some experiences, but they also differ in ways not completely apparent to young narrator Maggie (e.g., Jim Crow laws, voting rights, etc.) Depending on the audience age, teachers and parents may want to introduce these topics. While generally capturing the times (even when showing the correct instruments used in ragtime groups), there is one annoying example of artistic license: Nathan's cornet playing elicits a feeling of freedom in Maggie, expressed in the very 20th century (Marlo Thomas, anyone?) phrase, "Free! Free! We choose who we will be!" Not only is this anachronistic, but it's overly optimistic for Maggie and Nathan, especially the latter (see the topics mentioned above).

It's still an excellent book, especially its dual structure, the sometimes frank discussion of hardships, and Jim Burke's illustrations, large enough to show both background details and facial expressions. At firt I thought the pictures were too dark in tone, but Burke does this to convey tenement conditions. However, he shows us enough color, variety, and emotion to maintain interest. The book was honored as one of the New York Public Library's "One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing" in 2004.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, I decided that I should find some books on the city for kids who wanted to know more about it. So I searched... and I searched... and I came to the rather frightening conclusion that when it came to New Orleans picture books there are some by Fatima Shaik and that's about it. And there CERTAINLY weren't any historical picture books that involved The Big Easy. No sirree bob. Now a cursory glance at "Maggie's Amerikay" and you might be forgiven for jumping to the assumption that the book is yet another addition to the immigrants-come-to-New-York-via-Ellis-Island genre. Inside, however, you will be delighted to find that not only does it take place in New Orleans back in 1898, but it also puts the antipathy the immigrating Irish had for African-Americans and vice-versa into terms that a small child could understand. A rich warm book that talks about overcoming prejudices without rubbing your face in the message, Russell's book is an excellent addition to any library or personal collection with a yen for the historically accurate.

It's 1898 and Maggie and her family have just moved from Ireland to New Orleans. Maggie would love to stay home from school and help the family by rolling cigars like the other girls, but her father insists that she should get an education. Now as a new immigrant, Maggie knows exactly who to like and who to dislike. She's been told to dislike black people since, "they take our work", but her father keeps on being nice to them. He even goes so far as to give a boy a free cornet, just because the kid yearns for it. When Maggie's little sister Bessie comes down with yellow fever, the family has to start making a lot more money fast to pay for the medical bills. After all, her mother will now have to stay home to tend to the sickly child. Bessie tries to work both in the cigar factory and go to school, but it's too much work for too little pay. Then, all of a sudden, the boy her father gave the cornet to (Nathan) offers Bessie a new kind of work. She'd be writing down the stories of an elderly former slave . At first, both the old man and the young girl view one another with mutual distrust. After a couple of his stories, however, they realize that though America has pitted black against Irish and Irish against black, the two groups have far more in common than they might have initially thought.

At the back of the book, author Barbara Russell includes an Author's Note that talks about the history of the immigrants and the former slaves in New Orleans. The book itself, I should mention, makes several references to the birth of ragtime within its plot. Russell fleshes the history out a little more in her notes to explain how this in turn became the jazz we know today. The book adeptly weaves together different historical facts and elements without ever coming across as deeply depressing or forced. Considering how much information is crammed into this little 40 page book, I was a bit taken aback. When I saw that Russell was also the author of "The Remembering Stone", however, it made far more sense to me.

Perhaps it's cruel to say, but I was rather pleased by the fact that illustrator Jim Burke didn't make Maggie into some exquisitely beautiful little angel of light and life. This kid looks like a real child. She's a little plain, but in a wholly realistic way. I'm actually a little afraid that Mr. Burke based this girl on someone in real life and that I am, unwittingly, insulting that child with my callous praise. Let us hope this is not the case. His pictures have a glow to them. They're seemingly simple but with a kind of light just beneath their surface. I haven't a clue what medium the man was working in, but it's clear that Burke knows how to show action, the slow play of light over a scene, and emotion on the page. There's a shot from Maggie's point of view of the old former slave glaring at her from the bed that says everything you need to know in that shot alone.

The book grows on you. When I read it through the first time, I thought it was good but I didn't linger over it. Now, however, I've sort of fallen for its charms. It's hard to predict who the readership for it might be, though. Certainly it will be a boon to any child who reads at a lower grade level but still has to do an assignment on a work of historical fiction for school. Like Patricia Polacco's, "Pink and Say" the book does not have a built-in audience, but will probably garner a fair amount of attention just by being as good as it is. It might be a good idea to pair it with other historical picture books that discuss newfound immigrants to America. Things like "Peppe the Lamplighter" by Elisa Bartone or "Grandfather's Journey" by Allen Say. As for, "Maggie's Amerikay", this is definitely a book to keep one's eye on. Pleasing.

I really like the whole concept of the My Tarot. The Images are printed on nice quality stock paper that is not too flimsy nor too thick. I plan to laminate each card when I am finished with the drawings. The colour pencils are not very good but I knew that before I bought this deck. I will give them away and use the higher quality pencils I have to do my art work with. I will also have more of a variety of colors. Not just the 8 that came with the deck. The Colour Your Own Deck Booklet that comes with it is a little too small for me to write in and work with but I'm going to give it my best shot. I already broke the back on it so it lays out flat making it easier to read and write in. Each card has it's own page describing the image on the card and a colouring exercise. For instance. The Sun. Coloring exercise. Think of situations that conjure up positive feelings, such as successes or victories. Consider the difference in how you're feeling as you colour this image compared to working on the moon. It also has a spot after each exercise for you to write down your thoughts on the image. And for keywords pertaining to your drawing and the date you coloured it. The introduction is quite helpful too. Such topics as Why personalize a deck, What colours mean, Colour and meditate, Choosing a colour and learn more about yourself. It also goes into explaining the Tarot. A little book but full of info!!
I know I'm going to enjoy this and am glad I made the purchase.

"There is no better way to establish a relationship with the tarot cards than to create your own deck! Take each of these `outline' cards, let your imagination influence your feelings, and colour in the image. Record your impressions in the booklet and you will soon have a deck in which each card feels like a personal friend."-- From the publisher

The classic Sharman-Caselli Tarot deck features animated scenes in the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, with beautiful coloration and accessible imagery. With the My Tarot: Colour Your Own Deck, you get to try your hand at personalizing this beloved deck!

My Tarot consists of 78 white cards with black outlines drawn by Giovanni Caselli, as well as eight color pencils and a 95-page companion booklet. A brief introduction to Tarot and color theory is provided in the booklet, and there are coloring exercises and an explanation of imagery for each card. There are also several lines for recording your impressions and keywords for each image.

I was intrigued with the idea of coloring a deck, but I admit to being disappointed with My Tarot. For one thing, the Tarot Workbook by Juliet Sharman-Burke accomplishes what this deck attempts to, and that is connecting with the cards on a personal level, including the use of color and self-created meanings and keywords. The information in the My Tarot companion book is distilled tidbits that are directly from the Tarot Workbook.

In addition, the images in the Tarot Workbook are larger and easier to color because the bordering and card title has been removed. There is also more room for journaling in the Tarot Workbook. The pencils that come with My Tarot are less than 3 ½ inches long, making it quite difficult to color the intricate outlines.

If you love the Sharman-Caselli deck and want to color your own version, then you'll likely enjoy My Tarot. However, if you want to familiarize yourself with Tarot imagery and create your own meanings--as well as journal about symbols and color-- then you'd likely prefer the Tarot Workbook by the same author instead.

(To see 9 card images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)