Bush Books

Amazingly, this book doesn't read like non-fiction. I was born in 1941 so I've lived through much of the time this book covers. Graubard does bring a fresh look at this recent history - and I don't always agree with it. But he is upfront about his opinions and I do appreciate that Graubard explains his conclusions. Excellent book and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Coleen from Kent, Wa

This is a unique history of the twentieth century presidency. The author plays no favorites, and the rogue's gallery in the lineup is comprehensive. Although the effect of the world wars on the presidency is decisive, the story really begins with the assassination of McKinley and the subsequent era of T. Roosevelt, the beginnings of empire and globalization. Thence to Clinton and George W. Bush the acerbic account continues, and it is the very considerable increments of telling detail that makes the book work, and the altered perspective on standard accounts refreshingly bleached. We get so much hagiographic flak that we lose sight of the mediocrities, failures, and lost opportunities of the White House occupants, who are too often ill-prepared to do the job right. Too much of the history here is passed over. This book throws out a lot of hype, and might seem too much were it not good reading, and profitable at that. One's view of American presidents won't be same ever again.

Graubard has much to teach us that even the most careful observer of the American presidency may have missed. His analysis is always original, and while on first read some of his interpretations of specific presidents or events may strike some readers as odd,further into a chapter, you usually find yourself nodding your head.
I found particular value in his discussion of the lesser known 20th Century presidents, such as Taft, Harding, and Coolidge.

Highly recommended for students of history, the presidency, or American politics.

I read Steven Graubard's bible-sized porportion of a book for a little friendly summer reading. I must say, that this is a case where the book certainly wasn't all that the cover makes it out to be. That being, the cover would lead you to believe that this would be very intriquing. Reading about how war, secrecy, and deception was used by the American presidents of the twentieth century. Why Graubard uses this as his punch line is beyond me, because he hardly gives us any under the cover, behind the line info on these presidents.

For the most part, Grauber pretty much trashes just about every American president, with the exceptiong of FDR and Harry Truman. He seems to think that no of our other president's had any idea of foreign policy. Funny, how a British historian seems to have so much to say about how OUR president's conduct foreign policy. Maybe dear professor Graubard has an historical beef?????

Although there were points during this book where I had to enjoy Graubards exploitations of some of the more overrated presidencies. That being especially the case with John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.

My main beef with Mr. Graubard, is in his conclusion of how we in America don't train people to be President! Well...that's exactly what I happen to love and appreciate about our great country. Is that anyone can potentially become the President. Train people to be President? And let me guess, Mr. Graubard would probably prefer that we train them at Oxford in England?

Other than that, this book is a bunch of hot air and wasted time and it is not worth the time and effort. If one wants to read a bible sized book on American politics, read Richard Ben Kramer's "What It Takes: The Way To The White House". But this book to put it best, is a bunch of rubbish!

Though an avid reader, it is not often that I find a thick historical tome a "can't put down." This marvelous work, dense and thought-provoking, gives the reader a view into the presidencies of the 20th century. Even just the trivia you may pick up from this book is an enormous asset: (what 2 presidents died of natural causes and what two were assassinated in each of the last 2 centuries?) During what periods of American history did presidents tend to serve only one term? How many fingers does it take to count all the "honest" presidents in the 20th century?)

This is a must-read for anyone wanting a grasp of how we got to where we are today.

With the coming election, it is important to take a look at the last eight years of government, and how it is being lead, so that we not repeat the same mistakes. This book is a tough read, and definitely requires some time and patience, but should be read as our current president, like him or hate him, has made some questionable moves that more people should be aware of. This is truly an illuminating read.

At the outset I must state that I am a registered Republican and voted for George II twice. Be that as it may I am reviewing this book.

Rep: Conyers is a Michigan Democrat and the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and his book sets forth in often mind numbing detail the various "crimes" of the Bush administration. This book is obviously well researched, there are 1,401 separate endnotes as well as a through listing of the specific Federal statutes violated, and clearly the book reflects his dedication to exposing the shortcomings and endless failures of the current administration.

Unfortunately the book is written like a Congressional report (only logical when you consider the author) and is not an easy read by any means. There is clearly a large audience for a book on this subject and Republican that I am I freely acknowledge the many faults, errors, misrepresentations and outright lies of this administration which should be debated by the public. This book is too detailed and dense to be accessible to the general reading public however. I will note that it will provide excellent source material for anyone who wishes to write a more reader friendly book on this subject.

It's about time someone had the guts to publish this. Representative John Conyers' report lays out the unconstitutional acts committed by the Bush Administration that are egregious enough to call for impeachment. This book will educate you, anger you, and show you the facts - not the same conspiratorial run-around - about the White House's crimes.

Whether you agree or disagree with the idea, you should read this book. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers is the most important member of Congress when it comes to constitutional matters. Whether you like his views or not, you cannot ignore them. Elizabeth Holtzman is also a relevant person since she was a member of the House Committee that impeached President Nixon in 1974. With new questions rising since this book was written such as allegations about the political manipulation of the Justice Department, the impeachment issue is becoming more than an abstract idea. I have compiled a list of books on the issue in terms of both Bush and constitutional law that can reached via my profile page.

This isn't the kind of book you read so much as refer to. It's a bit intimidating with 86 solid pages of notes, 1,401 endnotes in all. It was written by the House Democratic Judiciary Staff at the direction of Representative John C. Conyers, Jr. (D, Michigan), and is thick with indictment.

But is it an empty gesture? I don't think so. While it's true that there isn't much chance that the Democrats will be able to impeach President Bush, let alone find him guilty--after all they can't even get a no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez through Congress--this book does serve the purpose of documenting some of the more blatant criminal activities of the Bush Administration. Furthermore, the very fact of its existence may help to prevent such abuses of power in the future by Bush or any other president. If this book helps to prevent an invasion of Iran, for example, it has more than done good service.

Therefore the men and women who worked so hard on researching, writing and organizing the material are to be commended. I hope they learned a lot about the law and how our government actually operates because that is about all they are going to get out of this. Well, the satisfaction of knowing they did the right thing.

In addition to the high crimes referred to in the title, the book documents numerous low crimes and various dirty play by the administration in its pursuit of absolute power. From intimidating opponents to manipulating intelligence, to outright lies and misinformation, to outing a CIA agent, to domestic spying and illegal wiretapping, to retributions run wild, to the encouragement and condoning of torture, to the misuse of executive power, to the circumvention of the US Constitution--it's all here in black and white with endnotes and lots of words inside quotation marks.

Elizabeth Holtzman, former representative from New York, who wrote the Foreword, makes this telling observation: "The Constitution in Crisis documents in vivid and brilliant detail how the war was foisted on us through a carefully orchestrated scheme of lies and deceptions, half-truths, and misstatements by a President determined for his own reasons--still unknown--to remove Saddam Hussein from power." (p. ix) This really is the crux of the matter as far as I am concerned. George W. Bush's actions, mysteriously motivated, have led to the deaths of over 3,500 American soldiers with over twenty thousand wounded and upwards of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi killed (so far), not to mention the eventual monetary cost of the war, which Holtzman estimates at more than $1-trillion. And for what? So that Bush could have the advantage of running in 2004 as a wartime president?

The real crimes of George W. Bush are horrific moral crimes that he cannot be tried for. That is sad, but it is nothing unusual for a head of state. (So people please choose wisely next time.) Anyone in a position with the kind of power that the President of the United States has is going to make decisions regarding matters of life and death, and many of the President's decisions will lead, one way or another, to the loss of life. President Harry S Truman is a good example of a president who had merely a choice of evils and made his decision based on what he believed was right for the country. Every president does this. Unfortunately I think George W. Bush made the major decision of his presidency based not on what is best for his country, but on what would appear to be best for the political interests of George W. Bush--and he didn't worry about the consequences.

So, can you impeach a president for being immoral?

It is even sadder to realize, as I am sure those who put together this indictment know only too well, that it is not even possible to impeach a president who has violated the laws of the land, unless you have the kind of people in the Congress who are willing to stick their necks out for what is right.

There is an excellent table of contents but no index. I think somebody should have taken the trouble to put together an index; otherwise this is an outstanding book that may someday be of value to historians and hopefully to those who would prevent the next attempt at an imperial presidency.

From classical recordings to classic rock, Encyclopedia of Northwest Music identifies the unique sounds of Northwest musicians, revealing the lives and influences of those who have made not only a regional name for themselves, but who've influenced music around the world. Profiles of the Kingsmen, Treepeople, Quincy Jones, and others are provided in a fine guide to a range of local styles from rock and pop to jazz and folk.

Having been away from the Pacifc Northwest 60's music scene too long, I was pleased to see many familiar names of bands and musicians I knew from those years. At the same time, I was disappointed to see that the late 50's to mid-60's music scene in Tacoma was largely missing. This seems to be the norm for books on PNW rock history.

Except for the standard Wailers, Sonics, Ventures, and Bluenotes, it seems Tacoma continues to be skipped over. That is a shame, because Tacoma also had a huge and vibrant rock music scene during those years. I was pleased to finally see more written on the Dynamics and Frantics, but only a "mentioned by name" for the Statics, and no mention at all for the Galaxies, Beachcombers, and dozens of other really fine bands.

Still, this is a valuable reference and resource tool for those wanting to learn more about Rock music history of the PNW, particularly if your interests are Seattle or Portland. Eventhough disappointed in content because of my Tacoma roots, I am glad I bought this book. I know how hard James Bush must have worked on it, as my research into the Tacoma rock scene of the early to mid 60's has also consumed much of my time and I'm not even writing a book (yet).

Sammy Carlson, bassist for The Regents (Tacoma), 1963-1967. SamCarlson@TheRegents.net

FINALLY A BOOK ABOUT NORTHWEST MUSIC, ESPECIALLY ROCK AND ROLL OF THE 60'S AND 70'S.THE PREVIOUS DON ROGERS BOOK IN 1989 WAS GOOD FROM THE OREGON PERSPECTIVE BUT THIS BOOK COVERS A LOT OF BANDS WHO HAVE NEVER REALLY BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED IN PRINT. BANDS LIKE MARK GALLAGHER & THE FRAGILE LIME, THE CITY ZU, AND GABRIEL.NEIL SKOK HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB!I SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE WRITERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO MR.BUSH'S BOOK!

FINALLY A BOOK ABOUT NORTHWEST MUSIC,ESPECIALLY ROCK AND ROLL OF THE 60'S AND 70'S.THE PREVIOUS DON ROGERS BOOK IN 1989 WAS GOOD FROM THE OREGON PERSPECTIVE.BUT THIS BOOK COVERS A LOT OF BANDS WHO HAVE NEVER REALLY BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED IN PRINT. BANDS LIKE MARK GALLAGHER & THE FRAGILE LIME, THE CITY ZU, AND GABRIEL.NEIL SKOK HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB!I SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE WRITERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO MR.BUSH'S BOOK!

Having been away from the Pacifc Northwest 60's music scene too long, I was pleased to see many familiar names of bands and musicians I knew from those years. At the same time, I was disappointed to see that the late 50's to mid-60's music scene in Tacoma was largely missing. This seems to be the norm for books on PNW rock history.

Except for the standard Wailers, Sonics, Ventures, and Bluenotes, it seems Tacoma continues to be skipped over. That is a shame, because Tacoma also had a huge and vibrant rock music scene during those years. I was pleased to finally see more written on the Dynamics and Frantics, but only a "mentioned by name" for the Statics, and no mention at all for the Galaxies, Beachcombers, and dozens of other really fine bands.

Still, this is a valuable reference and resource tool for those wanting to learn more about Rock music history of the PNW, particularly if your interests are Seattle or Portland. Eventhough disappointed in content because of my Tacoma roots, I am glad I bought this book. I know how hard James Bush must have worked on it, as my research into the Tacoma rock scene of the early to mid 60's has also consumed much of my time and I'm not even writing a book (yet).

Sammy Carlson, bassist for The Regents (Tacoma), 1963-1967. SamCarlson@TheRegents.net

I found this book in a furniture store yrs ago as a decoration.

It is an INCREDIBLE book!!!!!!!!!! Harmon's adventures are amazing... death defying... and it is amazing the creative things he did to help people in rugged Alaska... They literally used bailing wire to hold things together. Real seat-of-the-pants stories... I loaned this to at least 4 people to read and even gave a copy to Jimmy Buffett, since he is a avid pilot and adventurer. I made sure I could get a 2nd copy for myself tho! ANYone who likes flying will love this book and not want to get rid of it!!!!!

Harmon Helmericks doesn't just write about flying; he writes about people and place. Mostly he writes about people and he writes so respectfully. He even writes about their foibles without poking fun at them! One of my favorite passages is Chapter 20, 'Kisik,' in which he writes about a Native American couple. He tells a story of two of the world's great people, who he obviously counted as very dear friends. I can't find a mean word about a person in the whole book, and it is primarily a book about people.

This is a good book for any pilot who's dreamed of flying in Alaska. Helmericks was the real thing and he tells his story with great affection and respect for his fellow fliers.

Harmon Helmericks spins (no pun intended) a tale of bush pilot aviation at it's finest, from the very beginnings of flying in Alaska. It is guaranteed to make the couch pilot sign up for flying lessons. I did. Hard to put down, a wonderful adventure tale.

It brings real people, times, places, and adventures to life in a way that one can feel and share. A closeness with love for nature and animals, and warmth in the coldest deep freeze.It was history in the making, the beginning of an era, with respect for one another, machines, animals and nature.

This is a charming book. A well written love story, the author uses her knowledge of art, medicine, and history to add detail and description. Hoping for more from this talented writer.

The author grew up in Gallia Co., Ohio and I know her family so felt a personal connection. My Mother-in-law worked with Marie at the Clinic too. I'm not much of a reader but found it hard to put down the novel until I finished it.

I found this to be a delight to read and a great love story. I could hardly put it down and read in less than a day. The Author had an e-mail address listed on the back cover. I sent her a note and was pleased to get an answer. Great read!

This charming novel is the perfect companion for a day at the beach or for a long afternoon cuddled up in a favorite chair.

In its timeless story of love aborted by circumstance, this novel compares nicely to classical romance novels by Austen and Bronte. Brad Newsome has all the characteristics of a true hero - stalwart, honorable, and handsome to boot. However, unlike the heroines of old, this thoroughly-modern Maggie has no need of rescue.

What she does have in common with her strong Victorian counterparts is her sense of purpose and self-worth. When her short-lived romance with Brad leads each of them to pursue their separate destinies, we share their journey as life's twists and turns lead them back to each other once again.

Their love affair is a tender story with something to say about persistence and patience in matters of the heart. But beware: you will fall in love with Brad. There is no escaping it.

A popular vacation spot lures Maggie Swanson from the quaint Southern Ohio town she calls home. She soon realizes that even a thousand miles can not distance her from the emptiness and pain she carries in her heart. When a Southern gentleman unexpectedly joins her for dinner, Maggie is surprised by how much she enjoys his company. Events quickly bring the two closer, only for Maggie to learn that the charming man with the charismatic smile can no longer be a part of her life.

Yearning for something more, Maggie returns to her job at the medical clinic in Ohio. Given a rare opportunity to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, she later journeys to pre-Katrina New Orleans where with one brushstroke at a time she faces the canvas of her own life and is determined to make her dreams come true.

In her first novel, Marie Bush Pinschmidt reminds us all of today's uncertainties along with the hopes and dreams tomorrow can bring if only we are willing to take a chance and trust just one more time. Man on the Balcony is beautifully written and has certainly become one of my favorites. Prop your feet up and relax! You will not want to put this novel down.

This book does have errors. For one thing a horse cannot breathe through its mouth, only its nostrils (page 164 "his mouth wide open and sucking air" - while this does not indicate a huge error, there were other small errors noticed as well. If there are small errors, there are likely larger errors, so the other review is likely quite on the money.

Regardless, this book is worth reading. She does an excellent job of weaving a story together to give you an idea of where the horses have come from and endured.

By the same token, I am a supporter of horse slaughter and keeping wild horses within realistic numbers. While the book tells a wonderful story and chronicles the likely lives of many a Mustang, it is also written from a "horses are all beautiful" type standpoint. Some horses are just horses.

With the beauty available from Mustangs, the choice of cover surprised me, it's very mundane and not really gorgeous. Other than that, the book is good, the writing is wonderful and I'm sure that I will seek out other books by this same author now. Even with the small errors.

If there were any more references attached to the the Mustang Saga, Ms. Stillman would have had to write a new book just to cover them. I thought it was extremely well researched and just don't get where this guy is coming from.

Wild horses have become a political football in Congress, with battles between those who want to protect them and those who are all too happy to eradicate them.

Senator Conrad Burns of Montana slipped a rider into a federal appropriations bill in 2004 which ended more than 30 years of federal protection for America's wild horses. Our fearless leader--yes, the one from Texas, of all places!--signed it into law, leading to approval to their slaughter for horse meat to be sold to foreign countries where it is still eaten.

Perhaps Senator Burns and his colleagues from states where the majority of these horses are held and who voted for this bill would think differently if they read this book.

The tragic story of the American wild horse comes to life in Stillman's beautifully written book. She traces the history from being heroes to being considered surplus to requirements.

When you think about the reverence of the horse in American literature and history, that it has come to this--that politicians from states whose fortunes were built on the back of these amazing animals are the ones who voted to destroy them--will make you ashamed to call yourself an American. It's no wonder the rest of the world thinks of us as the creators of the disposable society.

In writing "Mustang," Deanne Stillman has given us an amazing new view of American history--the one that was made by wild horses. I have waited for years to read a book like this, one that tells the true story about America's wild horses--from their origins to their fight for survival today. With stunning and dramatic prose, Stillman recounts the making of this country and the fighting of our early wars by way of the service of mustangs. This part of the book reaches its height with her masterful chapter about the Battle of the Little Bighorn and Comanche, the famous horse that survived it, and a visit to the horse cemetery on the battlefield. In the last section of her book, Stillman takes a look at what we are doing to the horses that have served us so well, as she follows them in another battle--the one in which they are now fighting for their own lives. We travel with her to Nevada for a heartbreaking round-up and to places across the West where wild horses have been hunted down and shot. She also takes you to where they are still running free, with manes and tails flying in the wind. After reading this beautifully written book, you will look at this country in a completely different way and want to get involved in the preservation of America's wild horses. In fact, you will feel an urgency to do so. By the way, a moving epilogue covers burros, which are protected under the same federal law that protects mustangs, and are also under siege. Book bonus: it has pictures!

As a wild horse researcher and advocate, I have mixed feelings about this book. Stillman writes with passion, and her lively style keeps the pace moving. I am encouraged that the book has brought national attention back to the plight of wild horses-and it is certainly time for an update of Hope Ryden's popular and intelligent 1970 book, America's Last Wild Horses. But I don't think this is that book. Stillman's inspiration for this project was the shocking wild horse shootings in Nevada, yet she uses that incident only to "bookend" the text, never really engaging with current attitudes or explaining such behavior. Instead, she gallops off into a re-hashing of western history from the perspective of horses, making a sweeping and unsupported case that every cowboy, Indian and cavalry horse of note were former wild horses/mustangs (by her own admission, she has a hard time appreciating any difference between wild and domestic horses, and this shows throughout). The main body of the book describes these general western contexts rather than wild horses and their histories per se, and too much space is devoted to topics like the Little Big Horn battle, which are not directly relevant and have been covered much better by others. Along the way she perpetuates misconceptions and down-right errors, such as claiming that immense wild herds developed from a few horses that strayed from Spanish explorers, Comanche, the famous Seventh Cavalry mount of Myles Keogh was one of many captured mustangs used by the U.S. Army, and that Plains Indians acquired most of their horses by capturing them wild-she even quotes a "horse taking song" in support of this idea, when it refers to the practice of taking horses from enemy camps (Plains peoples got most of their horses from trading and raiding, not "gathering"). She does not indicate her sources, and I have never seen or even heard of the "Mandan legend" about ice-age horses that she "quotes" from without attribution. These are just a few examples of her focus on the "saga" at the expense of research and experience, which is important because confidence in sources provides common ground for discussion and leads to informed understanding. Bottom line: this is a "feel good" book, meant to stir appreciation for horses, and judging from reviews, it has succeeded in that-at least among receptive readers who already love horses. For those with a background in wild horse issues, this book adds little new information or original thinking to the discussion. The average reader will find it a pleasurable, perhaps heart-warming and heart-breaking ride, but don't use this book as a reference for your next term paper.

Added Later: Yes, Stillman includes a good bibliography; sorry for the misunderstanding-I meant that there is no way to figure out the source of particular statements and interpretations, such as the passage bout the about the Mandan legend. Overall I am certainly supportive of this book; it is a well-written popular treatment of an important subject; but as a specialist on wild horses and North American ethnography, and as someone who teaches anthropology and writing to college students, I could not help but notice the issues that I mentioned.

I bought this Author's Book because of great reviews & Nancy Bush's Web page. I was disappointed. Maybe because of the story line, I found it like so many other books with the same premise. Jane Kelly character was likeable, but none of the others. The wife & X wife's seemed all too similar. Not sure if I would buy another book by this Author. Nancy Bush has a very fun Web. site you might check out.

This is a great fun read !!!!!!!Loved it.Hurry Ms.Bush give us more of
Jane Kelly.Mystery,love?,and laughter-what a home run !!!!

Jane Kelly is an apprentice PI working with her friend Dwayne Durban in his PI firm. Since he has broken his leg, she is not only a process server but working a big case.

Roland Hatchmere was a plastic surgery magnate and was murdered right before his daughter's society wedding. He was hit in the head with a heavy silver try, one of the wedding gifts. His second ex-wife, Violet becomes a prime suspect, but she denies having killed him. Dwayne believes her. Jane isn't so sure, especially since Roland's two other wives and his children all say she did it. Every time she thinks she has Violet figured out, someone changes her opinion of her with more information. Can she uncover the truth about Roland's murder?

While Dwayne's lain up, he's taken to looking through his binoculars to watch the houses across the water. He doesn't like what he sees when a bunch of teens regularly meet in a house under construction. He asks Jane to check things out. She soon finds herself in the middle of a situation she doesn't like. Can she set things up to put away the bad guys without putting herself in danger?

This is the third book in the series, but it is the first one I've read. I will be reading more! I love Jane Kelly. She's such a fun protagonist. There aren't a lot of PI books that I like, but Jane is such a breath of fresh air. She's funny and quirky in all the right ways. I kept picking the book up to read another chapter, even when I didn't really have time to read. I hope there will be many more books in this series! I highly recommend this book.

Violet Purcell has an interesting past including three husbands and some past employment at an Escort Service where she met at least two of her husbands on "dates." She now finds herself accused of murdering ex-husband, Roland, by bludgeoning him with a silver tray (her wedding gift) on the day his daughter was supposed to get married. Roland has a past himself, including patronage at the Escort Service, and a past addiction to cocaine.

PI Jane Kelly has been hired by Violet to clear her name. Jane has had some past involvement with the Purcell family (see "Electric Blue"). Jane's background is covered in more detail in the past novels in the series. Dwayne is laid up at home with injuries, and has been doing some Rear Window type spying with binoculars on the residents across the lake. He involves Jane in a second case concerning teenagers who have turned a house under construction into a party house.

Everyone is not as they seem. People withhold information, some won't speak to Jane, and some are hard to contact. Some past relationships are gradually pieced together, and she learns a little about Dwayne's background (his niece showed up in a previous novel). The usual list of suspects develops, and there is a surprising revelation at the end.

Jane ends up a little battered, and people develop some new relationships, wanted or unwanted. Also, it never seems to stop raining (I remember the year I spent in Oregon, when it rained every day in December). There are smatterings of wit and wisdom scattered in along the way, and just what are smithereens?

Dwayne Durban is head of his own private investigative firm; he has taken Jane Kelly on as his apprentice so she not only is a process server but she gets to work cases. Right now Jane is working all the cases because Dwayne is immobilized with a broken leg and he has taken up voyeurism spying with his binoculars at the neighbors across the street. Dwayne thinks one of the girls is in trouble and he wants Jane to investigate the tens who uses an empty home as a hang out.

While she is doing that she comes to the conclusion that something illegal is going on revolving around the high school star football player Keegan and she intends to find out what it is and if he is breaking the law bring him down. She is also working on the case of Violet Purcell who believes the police think she killed ex-husband, Roland Hatchmere. She wants Jane, who isn't so sure she is innocent, to prove that someone else killed her ex-husband. Since Dwayne believes she is innocent, Jane works double time because everyone involved with Roland, his two ex- wives, his children and all his friends think she is guilty. In the pursuit of proving Violet innocent, she breaks up a call girl ring and takes on a killer who nobody will ever believe murdered two men and is now going after Jane.

There are plenty of private investigator mysteries being written but Jane Kelly is original, unique, and funny. Her efforts not to fall in love with her boss and partner or buy the cottage she can afford are truly hilarious. Her relationship with the Binkster, her pug, is adorable and shows her caring vulnerable side of her self she tries to keep hidden. With homage to Rear Window, Nancy Bush creates delightful villains readers love to hate and her heroine is somebody most people will admire.

Harriet Klausner

What a clever and entertaining book! Crittenden gets so totally inside the heads of Bush and his cronies (including his super-secret IM buddy President Clinton), that you really feel you've accidentally logged into the White House computer system. She pokes fun at everyone (from Jenna Bush to Pope Benedict to the Emir of Kuwait) and everything (from self-important media types to scheming Washington bureaucrats to American foreign policy) in such a skillful, stylish, and refreshingly non-abusive way that I found myself laughing -- but sympathetically! -- at the foibles of public figures I thought I loathed. A terrific and fun read that people on both sides of the political divide will enjoy.

I was perhaps expecting more humor. It did at times bring a smile to my face..

this book is a hoot! It shows Bush and his cohorts exactly as we assume them to be, warts and all, but does it so amusingly I can't imagine even the subjects themselv es not being tickled by it.
Also a great way for the older generation to learn the arcana of Instant Messaing!

What a fun and witty book this is! For all of you political junkies out there, no matter what side of the aisle, I hope you enjoy reading these IMs as much as I did.

Does the author have a secret inside source inside the White House, or has her teenage son hacked into Kickass 43's laptop? Whatever, this is a must read for those hooked on the vagagres on intentaional diplomacy. Yeah, I know it's computer-talk fiction, but the author has the likes of Tony Blair. Ladeezman Clinton and even Condy cutie-pie down pat. Hyey, Maybe the First Lady is the secret sourcce - remember her refering to her hubby as "Mr. Excitement.?" Whatever, a delicious book without malice but lots of perception. Even the Pope gets a laugh.

Frustrated conservative

This book is an authentic series of exciting stories about the incredible bush flying. Having spent a few years in Alaska, I can attest to their accuracy. It is a series of thrilling stories. I recommend this book to anyone interested in flying and it's history in Alaska. It reports avation skills at the top end.

Alaska Sky Follies has the making of an Alaskan aviation classic. A series of great stories that will keep you chuckling on those long winter nights and jiggling the coffee in your cup. Well written and fast moving, it belongs on the shelf of all those interested in flying or Alaska.
I also highly recommend, Flying North South East and West, a great read on a young couples struggles to start their life in Alaska. The book is filled with aviation that starts in the north, and progresses to the sands of Africa. It also covers a ignored segment of aviation history, Cargo Flying. Strap in and come along on a expedition to the North Pole in a bush plane, then cargo flying four engine jets to Africa, and bush flying 737's on slick runways in the north country. Another great read.
Flying North South East and West: Arctic to the Sahara

This is for anyone who is into 1) Alaska, 2) Flying small planes, 3) humorous stories. Some of the stories are too strange to have been made up. This is a collection of short true stories from Alaskan bush pilots of the 1950's onward. Some are hilarious, some are hilarious only because no one got hurt and we can laugh about it now. It is a good quick read for someone who wants the flavor of the Alaskan frontier. It is a short book but fun to read. highly recommended.

Rychetnik provides a brief yet entertaining look into the bush pilots of Alaska. His presentation is humorous and easy to read. Definitely worth a look for all those interested in the funnier side of bush flying.

I don't care for books that give the evolution story as our beginning so I am not really thrilled with this book. The book itself is okay and interesting.

My daughter's book club is made up of 8 first and second graders. I picked this book because first of all - everyone likes cookies, right? Secondly, the information and science behind the ingredients was cool, interesting, and well-explained. The girls got a kick out of reading the different ingredient pages and took turns reading the animals' parts as we made a batch of cookies. Plenty of challenging words for the age group, and everyone learned something new, including the parents.

Having 3 kids of my own, we're always on the look out for books that not only the kids like, but we as parents like as well. This book is one such book. Not only is it fun, but it's full of fun facts. We first checked this out from the local library, and my kids loved it. We bought it from Amazon to add it to our collection, and I don't think it's been back on the shelf.

We even made the cookies as directed by the book, which the kids thought was amazing (we adjusted for altitude...).

I love to cook with my kids and my friends' kids, but we never step back to think what went into the ingredients. This cute book is filled with fascinating details about where butter, chocolate and salt come from that will be a delight to share the next time we bake cookies. What a great way to help young people see the broader impact of our daily lives!