G Books

Works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Includes Capital (Das Kapital) and Communist Manifesto. FREE Authors' biographies and essays in the trial version.

This ebook contains essential works of Marx & Engels. Great digital item!

then this is really the volume to get. Besides it's Norton: headnotes, footnotes, delicious paper, quality binding, good selections, a good look at Marx as far I can see.

This is an excellent compilation of Marx and Engels's works. Tucker's version is one of the foremost used by scholars and educators in the academic setting and is considered one of the best. Although I admittedly have not read all of the works in the reader, I was consistently impressed with the classics such as Capital, Crisis Theory, and the Communist Manifesto (most of which were actually written by Engels, not Marx).

The Marxist legacy lies not in his theories, but in the questions and concerns that he raises regarding other Enlightenment theorists. Indeed, Marx continues in the Enlightenment tradition in that he is deeply committed to science and rationality as a basis for legitimating a certain governmental regime and he has an intense regard for individual rights, which he believes can only be ensured if class differences are eradicated through the elimination of exploitation. Marxists believe that the role of government is to prevent exploitation, although more contemporary theorists such as Roemer have argued that exploitation theory is little more than a distraction from what they should actually worry about--which Roemer believes is domination. Anyone interested in exploitation theory should read Marx and Engels alongside Roemer's "Why should Marxists be interested in exploitation theory?" which is a great companion in helping you scrutinize Marx and Engels's argument.

Although the communist utopia where distributive justice is defined as, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" (as opposed to the transition state between capitalism and communism, socialism, has distributive justice defined as "From each according to his ability, to each according to his work") never does emerge as Marx predicts, Marx and Engels do raise some interesting arguments that everyone interested in political philosophy should be familiar with. Although their belief in their own infallibility and the failure of their theories--notably, the crisis theory--to hold up empirically have been used to downplay their relevance, Marx and Engels left behind several important tools with which to critically analyze all other political theories. The concerns they have with the existing system are not altogether irrelevant.

This book was used in one of the classes I took as an undergraduate. It seems to be a thorough and well chosen collection of the writings of Marx and Engels, with some insightful commentary by the editor, Robert Tucker. I'm not a scholar of the work of these two men, but reading through this again I'm struck with the notion that their ideas are still very much alive and relevant today. Marx is much maligned in the United States, but in many ways he was a humanitarian who wanted to change the world into a better place. And, as he argued, capitalism (including how it is practiced today) is deeply flawed in many ways. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

Whether or not one is a Marxist, knowledge of Marx' work is important in understanding the variety of political philosophizing over the millennia. Marx' political thought is sometimes difficult (think the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844") and sometimes transparent (e.g., "The Manifesto of the Communist Party," more popularly referred to as the "Communist Manifesto").

This edited work is one of the best introductions to the works of Marx (and Engels). The volume begins with the early Marx, which includes the "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844," excerpts from "The Holy Family" (in which he attacks some of the other socialists of the era), "Theses on Feuerbach," and the first of the truly classic works that Marx and Engels co-authored, "The German Ideology." It is interesting to note that "The German Ideology" covers much the same territory as "The Holy Family," with the major exception that Marx now addresses the intriguing and offbeat work by Max Stirner, "The Ego and His Own." In the process of addressing Stirner, Marx and Engels take the philosophical edifice to a more powerful level, creating a new perspective with a move away from idealism and toward materialism.

Other major works included are excerpts from "Das Kapital" (fairly turgid reading, I fear), the "Manifesto of the Community Party" (which ends with the famous phrase [page 500]) "The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains."), the "Critique of the Gotha Program," and "The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" (with its great introductory phrase [page 594] "Hegel remarks somewhere that all great, world-historical facts and personages occur, as it were, twice. He has forgotten to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.").

The final section of the work features the work of Engels, including "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific," "Anti-Duhring," "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State."

If one be interested in learning more about Marx (and Engels), this is an accessible edited work that provides some of the key works.

This might be considered a diet if you've been eating unhealthy and unaware of the basic tenets of good nutrition, however to us, it was a re-configuaration of much of what we already knew and were doing, but in a way that has helped us to drop excess weight and feel like our old bright and bouncy selves!

There are companion books you can get from the Mayo Library of Books. I suggest getting a few if you love cooking and want kitchen excitement. However, this book is much more than excitement. It is a simple and common sense approach for PEOPLE.

People like us. We love NFL games! We support our local high school's and our local university's various sporting and arts events. We like big bright holiday celebrations, we love to grill and entertain. We are not athletic, but enjoy fun exercising. We might not walk our neighborhood, but we will walk in botanic gardens or bigger city parks with lots of things to interest us.

This is a motivational book as much as anything. It really is geared to just plain ol' people! It isn't written for the froo froo people of the world, or the natural wanderers of the mountains and national parks, or the bean sprout organic types, it is for ALL of us. From the most picky irritating people who are so fussy you wonder if they can smile unless it is alternative organic and natural, to the most coach potato cheese curl eating beer guzzling take a bath once a week types, to EVERYONE else in-between! (Psst.. I lived in WV for about 8 years, I have seen the later description as common place, and I lived in Boulder, CO for 22 years, and have seen the former description all the time too! Give me a balance please! LOL)

Enjoy making your life being just that.. enjoyable. You will find a new self confidence and cheerfulness deep within your own spirit. It comes with my highest praise and recommendation!

I have found this book helpful for reworking my eating plans and just improving health. It is fairly comprehensive and I think it is probably the kind of material you would get if you went to a nutritionist. If you want to lose weight sensibly I would recommend it.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I had tried everything. I was fairly successful on the Body for Life program, but it took too much time. All I did on that program was eat and workout. I have a life. I need time for my family, work, continuing education and other activities. When I saw my life suffering at the expense of my body, I had to compromise the Body for Life program. I then ballooned back up to being obese. My doctor tried to talk me into a gastric bypass because my weight was getting so bad. This book from the Mayo Clinic gave me a diet that was very easy and had a lot of great food. I haven't even been tempted to wander from this program at all. The variety of food has filled my food addiction while also taking the weight off of me. I have been continually losing weight and my doctor is not worried about me at all now. She even just filled out a physical report stating that I am in very good health.

If you want good food, good health and time for a real life, this is the only book for you.

I've fought my weight my whole life. I've always been afraid of "fad" diets or diets that exclude one particular food. I think they are not a healthy way to lose weight. Everyone kept telling me to "eat a balanced diet" but no one explained what that meant. People talk about saturated fats, trans fats, etc and I felt like they were speaking a foreign language. My friends would count calories or carbs and would become frustrated. I didn't want to do any of that.

I bought the "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for Everybody" when we moved and I had plenty of time for a "project". It is a 12 week program designed to get you into the habit of eating healthy. The first three weeks were a lot of work and took a lot of dedication. I had to weigh and measure everything. After the first three weeks, my eyes adjusted and were able to do the measurments without the scale and cups. Some of the recipes are a lot of prep and there is a lot of cutting of vegi's and fruits. My husband and my 2 teenage kids didn't mind the changes (except brown rice) so after the first 3 weeks "learning curve", it all worked out well. I lost 25 lbs in 12 weeks and I never even got into the exercise part. After the 12 weeks, I stopped tracking my number of servings for 3 months. I still ate the same foods and made sure I didn't eat "A LOT" or high calorie foods. I stopped losing weight but I didn't gain it all back either. I have started tracking my servings again and have started working on the exercise. I have set my goal to lose another 25 lbs in the next 12 weeks.

I agree with everyone else here that the information is presented in a way that is easy to understand and explains it all. The book gets indepth but it is presented in a way that if you don't care what "trans fat" is, you can skip that part. I've even gien this book as presents to friends and family. I bought the cookbook too but I don't like that one.

Whether or not you need to lose weight, this book is an excellent guide to healthy eating for life. The recipes are so easy that we're able to incorporate them into our everyday menus easily. We're all getting out 5-a-day, and then some! For weight maintenance, all you need to do is add a few more portions of some food groups. Even without reading the book, you can open up to the menu pages and start right away. You can also follow this plan on a tight budget since there aren't any hard to find or expensive ingredients. Between the eating plan and very helpful exercise goals, this has got to be the easiest way to get or stay healthy I've ever seen.

This book is fabulous! I could almost read the entire book all the way through. The writing flows so well and the writer keeps you so intrigued with what will happen next that you cannot put the book down.

Excellent adventure with an English girl trapped in China. Loveable and brave heroine who makes it back to her strange homeland of England. This book is full of adventure and great writing and characters. You reorient your point of view to that of the heroine's, feeling like an ugly foreigner in China. Then confused by sudden culture shock in England and by being surrounded by lots of interesting characters with complex histories and agendas. Who is her friend and who is her enemy? This was the first Brent book I read and I LOVED it. Can't recommend it highly enough.

This has been one of my favorite books since I first read the condensed version in a magazine. It's one of those delightful easy-to-read books that you like to visit ever few years...like an old friend. I've read it many times and would recommend it.

... with mystery and intrigue, an absorbing plot, intelligent description, fascinating setting and history, richly written characters, and, above all, a humble, kind-hearted and utterly charming heroine to root for, then read this book. Did I oversell it? I hope not. I read this everytime I need an escape. Goes down as easy as the creamiest ice cream, and just as satisfying.

Madeleine Brent (Peter O'Donnell of Modesty Blaise fame) wrote some really good historical adventure stories pitched toward women. Why does he succeed in making his books interesting even on repeated reading, where a lot of other authors in the same genre fail? He has great respect for the intelligence and good sense of his heroines.

Plucky and intelligent, Lucy struggles against great odds to support and protect her benefactor and the orphans they had taken in and cared for in a hostile turn of the century China. Meanwhile, events are conspiring to send her on an adventure to take her half way around the world.

This book is a delightful read.

Have you ever considered the advantages to having your nose on your face? Or what life is like for a boneless chicken? Or lamented a night of homework? Then this book is for you! Jack Prelutsky's collection 107 poems are silly, catchy, and classic. Readers bounce from poem to poem, carried along by James Stevenson's squiggly illustrations. Though this is a fast read, Prelutsky's odd characters, like the Underwater Wibblies and Drumpp the Grump, will keep you giggling.

These quirky poems will entertain readers both young and old. Prelutsky's poems are made for reading aloud, and audiences will enjoy listening to the made-up names and punchlines. Stevenson's artwork, which can also be found in The New Yorker, fits perfectly with the singsong style of the poems. The black and white drawings wobble and flutter around the text, interacting with it. Prelutsky's work, combined with Shel Silverstein's, makes for an excellent introduction into the world of poetry for young readers.

This is a great book to share with friends and families because it is funny and a lot of the poems seem true to what kids are thinking and feeling. Some of our favorites were, "An Alleycat with One Life Left," "Homework! Oh, Homework!," "The Nothing-Doings," and "I Wonder Why Dad is so Thoroughly Mad." This is a great book for everyone!

My child came home from her gifted/talented school requesting the book. She loved it in her classroom and has already read most of it.

This book introduced my son to poetry at age eight and he became an avid fan. He became so enthralled with poetry that he began to write poetry himself. He even wrote a very insightful poem as one of his college entrance essays. Prelutsky retains his inner child and writes from a child's point of view--hard for children to resist. A must have for your home library.

I think that this a great way to introduce poetry to kids that may believe it to be boring or stuffy. My son would ask me to read these to him over and over. We did a lot of giggling over some of them.

I have been a closet Pat McManus fan since the 80's. His short stories always make me laugh out loud, no matter what mood that I am in before I start reading them. These stories are for everyone. You don't even have to fish or hunt and you'll still get it. Anyone who has ever spent any time outdoors will be able to relate to his adventures.

The names of the stories in this book are:
Sequences
The Dumbest Antelope
Out of Sync
Kid Brothers and Their Practical Application
The Fried Flies, Please, and Easy on the Garlic
At Loose Ends
Getting It in the Ear
Garage-Sale Hype
How to get Started in Bass Fishing
As the Worm Squirms
Scoring
A Road Less Traveled By
Gunkholing
Blips
The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw
Water Spirits
Letter to the Boss
Scritch's Creek
The Tin Horn
Cupidity, Draw Thy Bow
Whitewater Fever
Never Cry "Arp!"
Visions of Fish and Game
A Brief History of Boats and Marriage
Boating Disorders
Try Not to Annoy Me

First let me say I found the Patrick McManus stories funny each month as I got that magazine. Maybe it was Outdoor Life,,,,,
Then I read there that I could get books full of his stories.
WOW, I bought all of them.
I must say though that I like this one best.

BTW, If you ever read a story by Pat about being lost in the woods by all means believe him. I am way up here in NW lower Michigan.
A man I know who is a regular fisherman was fishing a local river. He was away from any road when he happened to find a man that had been fishing, but was asking how to get out of there back to a road. After he had told the guy to just follow the river that way for about two more miles the guy introduced himself,,, Guess who? Patrick McManus of course. 8>))

Now, I'm actually from Idaho where this book is actually based off of. Despite all of the Sarcasm, you got Idaho. HAHA LOL. I know this is bad but I hate to read. I had to read this book for an english assignment. But I really like this book. It is non-stop laughter. I think I am going to read all of his books now. I hope that is enough for you to be convinced that this book really is good and should be read by anyone who loves humorous books. HAPPY READING! :)

This book is hilarious. We like to read it to the middle and high school kids. You can hear them laughing about the fur coat, etc. outside the building. It has sparked many a boy into getting Partick's other books and reading for themselves. As a library director I know how hard it is to get middle and high school kids to read for pleasure. Patrick McManus is sure a pleasure. When I read the Goombaw story, and I have numerous times I still can not get through it without tears running down my face.

I have always thought that Patrick McManus is the funniest writer on the planet. I read his stories when I need to laugh or relax. Sometimes I irritate my wife by reading it in bed. I try not to laugh out loud, but I only succeed in sounding like I am trying to muffle continuous sneezes.

However, not everyone gets it. I have been shocked by watching people read McManus without so much as a smile (though most start snorting like wild pigs on acid) . My only guess is that getting McManus requires a couple things. First, it requires some understanding of his experiences. He absolutely nails all of the stupid things 'outdoors men (outdoors people)' do and think, but don't want anybody to know about. Second, you have to see the self-deprecating aspect of his humor. Third, you can't look for great literature in integrated books. Patrick McManus is an excellent writer, if you see these as independent stories simply collected in a volume. They are meant for adults who want to laugh at themselves. So, If you are willing to or already meet the above three criteria, you will love this book.

By the way, I am a professor of clinical psychology and (other than worrying a little about McManus) I sometimes recommend this and other McManus books. I do this with people who have racing thoughts and anxiety at bedtime, and when I believe they have the necessary experiences to find it funny. It often works quite well. I think of his stories as little pieces of happiness. (Oh, that even makes me sick to hear. Sorry)

This book is a jewel to be treasured by all who have a heart after God, and/or all who love the message of Jesus the Christ. The Swami wrote this book with such passion, love, sincerity, and honor for Jesus' life and message. This man of the yoga traditions of Hindu understood Jesus more than the vast majority of people who profess that very name. I do not typically use such blanket statements, but I feel confident to do so in this case.

In this little treasure of a book, Christ's message is brought to light in a way that will melt your heart, and alight a love for Christ within you, or will rekindle that fire if it was there and had been lost. This work also offers a beautiful introduction into the teachings of the Hindu faith, albeit an elementary introduction.

To help you appreciate this review, I will tell you somewhat of my background. I was brought up in an non-denominational pentecostal movement. Never once in my many years of hearing numerous preachers did I hear Christ taught so lovingly and peacefully. This book resonated with me much more than anything else I had ever heard of the Christ before.

I strongly recommend you add this little book to your library. You will want to read it time and again.

I'm a United Methodist. This book offers a new refreshing view of the material. I do recommend it.

I've read The Sermon on The Mount by Swami Prabhavananda twice and will read it over again throughout my life. I found much clarity in many of Jesus' teachings here that I didn't understand previously. Such as in The Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread." My thought when I was a child went to giving thanks for food, and I carried that into adult life. Please don't laugh, I just never gave it deeper thought. But Jesus' teachings were always meant to point us towards God-realization and the Swami tells us here that these words mean we are praying that "divine grace be reaveled to us now". (Which of course makes more sense.) I had also previously read "The Bhagavad Gita" according to Gandhi which helped me to understand the other enlightened souls mentioned in the Swami's book.

It's always interesting to see the outsider's view of something you have come to understand in one certain way; to see it through fresh eyes can make it new again. This book is a superb example of exactly that. It is probably impossible to come away from this book without a whole series of new insights, no matter how many times you may have read the Sermon on the Mount or how well you think you understand everything in it.

This book also serves to make the point that some of these Eastern swamis and gurus are scholars and thinkers of the first order. It really is a shame that our view of them often has been tainted by the antics of the charlatans and hustlers that came west beginning in the 1960s to exploit their own religious traditions for personal gain. If that has been your prejudice, Prabhavananda's book will be something of a revelation. Not to be missed.

It's hard for me to believe Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount as presented in Matthew. However, Swami Prabhavananda attempts to reach Christians in writing this book. Essentially he confirms Jesus was a God realized human being. Jesus spoke about the kingdom of heaven, which is within us. If we allow our Real self to emerge, and be led by it, we too can achieve Self realization. The Sermon on the Mount is beyond the grasp of most Christians, as is most of what Jesus tried to convey. This book is worth reading.

First of all, this book is excellent, and it's 27 years old.

I am wondering if there is someone who will write a universal solution book to let a player achieve any possible specific pattern from any possible pattern. Ex., let every square of every facet marked with digits 1-9 while the Rubik's cube at the pattern of all squares of the same color on a facet, and then, scramble it several times randomly, note the pattern, scramble it several times randomly, try to let the cube be back to the pattern noted.

Or, there maybe someone who has made, or will make computer programs to show how to achieve any possible specific pattern from any possible pattern.

I bought this back in '81 when I was a freshman in high school. I spent about four hours a night for a week memorizing the patterns and here it is in 2008 and I can still solve the cube in about 50-60 seconds (my personal best is 42 seconds). I keep a cube in my office and amaze co-workers.

My neighbor's kid has discovered the cube and wants to know how I learned it, so I naturally came to Amazon and looked...sure enough, this book is available. I've only read one other Rubik's book (I forget the name) and this was 10X easier than the first book I read. Since all the patterns in the book seem to flow in symetrical patterns, I found this to be very easy to master. The author even offers reverse patterns to save you steps (e.g. when orienting the bottom corners, you either run through pattern "A" (for example) twice to orient them, or run the reverse of it (call it "B") once to finish the corners. If I could memorize the colors and their relationship to the others, I could probably solve it in 40 seconds everytime. It seems I spent more time figuring which colors to solve than doing the actual moves. In fact, I can look at the cube and put it behind my back and run a move, look again, run another move behind my back and solve it that way. If you play guitar, then it's basically the same thing...after awhile, you just know what to do by only glancing at it.

I highly recommend this book. I still have mine...27 years later!

This is an easy solution but will not solve it fast. You will probably get it done in about 3-5 minutes. I have used Jeff Conquers the Cube in 45 seconds and Minh Thai's The Winning Solution in the 80's. I used to average 38 seconds with a best time of 23 seconds using the Jeff Conquers the Cube method.

I just got the Jeff Conquers the Cube book again and after about a month average just under a minute and have a best time of 38 seconds.

I originally owned a copy of this book years ago and easily learned and memorized the steps to solve "the cube" using the guidance provided. I can't say that I recall my personal best time on solving the puzzle; but the patterns were easy enough to memorize that I could find the solution while talking to friends or walking down the street. Considering all the possible moves, I think that's it's impressive that the book is simple enough to memorize those solutions. My original must have found it's way into a garage sale years ago, so I purchased a recent copy and a new cube. If my brain can still understand it at my age, anybody can use this book to solve this frustrating little puzzle and maybe even actually impress their spouse or, amazingly, their children! I see that other reviews that say there are solutions requiring fewer moves and I have no reason to question that. All I can say is that the solutions provided in this book are easy to understand and that they work!

Superb book - short and to the point. The explanations are clear and simple. Nourse even provides expert variations for when you get the hang of his solution. WARNING - it's virtually impossible to find this book in most brick-and-mortar book stores (nowadays puzzle and game shelves are filled mainly with books on sudoku or poker), so buy this book ONLINE if you get a chance. You might never find another copy!

It is amazing that a book written so long ago is still so entertaining. I will be reading the entire series and I bought the 1st seasaon DVD for a friend.

This is a great example of why this series is so enjoyable. Nero Wolfe proven right about automobiles, Wolfe trapped in a pasture by a bull, (Threatened by food, how appropriate.) Archie meets the one woman who sticks around (Lily Rowan) and a mystery that only gets solved with one of Wolfe's outrageous, but plausible (well, almost plausible) schemes. All the usual pleasures are just a bit better in this one, Archie gets arrested (as per usual) but instead of just suffering comically, he decides to organize the inmates. The banter between Goodwin and Rowan is another highlight (You'll see why Stout kept her around) and the twists and turns all have purpose. This one is one of the true classics of the series.

And it's not Hickory Caesar Grindon, the bull, either. This early Wolfe introduces Archie to his lifelong companion Lily Rowan.

Lily sticks with Archie (God knows why) for the rest of the series, which means from 1939 to 1975.

Some would say that Archie should be ashamed that he never makes an honest woman of Lily - I mean, isn't 36 years long enough? But that shows that they've not understood Lily - or Archie, for that matter.

Lily is a classic proto-feminist. She is independent and wilful. SHe thinks and acts for herself. Marriage, as she would define it, poses unacceptable terms to her: having to conform her actions to the expectations of someone else.

A great pleasure was seeing Kari Matchett play Lily in the much-lamented A&E series on Nero Wolfe. She was perfect: beautiful, self assured, charming and very much her own woman.

Oh, the story: a prize bull is killed and so is another person associated therewith...Wolfe, already grossly inconvenienced and in a highly uncomfortable place, must unravel this to assure that Archie does not languish in a provincial prison.

And, of course, a relationship begins which lasts a lifetime. The language and the characters in this story are irresistable, and Michael Prichard does his usual, wonderful job in capturing the spirit of Rex Stout's writing.

It's a story that stands up to multiple listenings. Enjoy!

Some Buried Caesar begins with an auto accident as Archie Goodwin is driving Nero Wolfe to an orchid exhibition. Wolfe, in his own considerate way, loses no opportunity to tell everyone he meets that Archie has wrecked his car. While this definitely helps fuel some of the comedy in the book, it's not quite the central plot thread. It turns out that Wolfe and company get sucked into a murder investigation where the prime suspect is a prize bull. Wolfe knows that the bull is innocent but has to prove it to the police to earn his fee. There is plenty of enjoyable snappy patter and the story moves along at a nice brisk pace. Archie also picks up something of a girlfriend, Lily Rowan, who will be around off and on for the rest of the series.

Most Wolfe novels have him safely at home in the city but this one pulls him out of his cozy confines and this definitely helps add spice to the story. Speaking of the story, it's one of Rex Stout's best. The characters are varied and interesting and the murder mystery is just as baffling as you could hope for. Some of the dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, just as you would expect from Wolfe and Goodwin.

If you've never read a Nero Wolfe book, this one would make a great introduction to the series. If you have read some of the novels, this one is well worth adding to your collection. In short, I would recommend it without reserve to almost anyone.

One of Stout's best Wolfe novels. The mystery itself is not really entirely gratifying, but the story and the characters that inhabit the mystery make it all worthwhile. The conflicts and dialogue of the characters add to the realism of the novel as well. One of Stout's most accomplished novels.

In Straight, Francis gives us another of his honorable and vulnerable heroes who find themselves in trouble through no fault of their own. True, part of Derek Franklin's problems stems from not getting to know his much older brother, Greville, but the rest of his problems just seem to happen. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is never in one's favor.

Derek is a successful jockey whose ankle is broken in a fall in a race. Just after he learns that his brother has been killed in a freak accident. Now, Greville was a gemologist who tended to be more than a little paranoid. He loved gadgets and puzzles and lives in a house outfitted like a fortress. Unfortunately, the strength of the house does not prevent Derek from being pummeled and otherwise abused nearly to the point of death. The worst thing is that he doesn't know why. This is a story of many mysteries most of which have nothing to do with one another. True to form, though, the villain once identified, proves to have no compunctions about doing whatever it takes to get what he/she wants and for self protection. Or is that villains?

As the story unfolds, the reader finds out as much about the deceased Greville as Derek, his brother and sole heir. (There are two sisters who live abroad.) It's difficult not to care about both and to feel the regret about not getting to know someone before it's too late.

Straight is a typical Francis novel in that it's a fast read, one cares about the protagonist, and pretty much despises the antagonist. Few surprises when it comes to it, but one of Francis's good ones.

I hve been reading Dick Francis books for at least 15 years. My father introduced me to them. When I go on vacation this summer, some of them will accompany me. "Straight" will be one of them.

Greville and Clarissa had concealed their love affair for three years.

Greville was a middleman, who had traveled the world to search out reliable sources of semiprecious gemstones. The successful London company he founded would have the stones cut in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York, or elsewhere, then distribute the gems in quantity to creative designers and producers of fashionable jewelry. Greville also owned racehorses, starting when someone had given him one in settlement of a debt.

Clarissa was the attractive wife of an older British lord, who had pursued her. Greville became Clarissa's first love, as she became his. When he was not on a trip, and she could come to London, they would meet. When apart, which was most days, they had agreed to pause at a set time of day to think of each other, knowing that each was doing the same.

A sudden accident ended all this. Greville had been walking down the High Street next to a construction site, when collapsing scaffolding from high up, struck him, sending him to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness and soon died.

Here are Dick Francis's very first words of the story: "I inherited my brother's life. Inherited his desk, his business, his gadgets, his enemies, his horses and his mistress. I inherited my brother's life, and it nearly killed me."

The speaker is Greville's brother Derek, younger by nineteen years. Too tall for flat racing, Derek is a steeplechase jockey, which is especially dangerous because of the jumping. In the story he is, in fact, on crutches recovering from a broken left ankle injured in a race.

Derek's racing world and Greville's business world collide throughout the book. Derek must pick up the complex gemstone business traces, while undergoing continuing pressure from racing owners and trainers to hurry up and heal.

The company employees tell Derek that Greville did not deal in diamonds. In going to the bank, Derek discovers otherwise. The manager tells him that three months earlier the bank had loaned Greville a million and a half U.S. dollars, specifically to expand into diamonds, and would soon be looking to Derek to start repayment.

Where are the diamonds? Stolen? Who are the customers who wanted them? Greville's company business and his house are broken into. Derek is assaulted and shot at. The action is nonstop. The book is a fascinating, literate page-turner.

Note: Probably all of us readers like to notice where a book's title appears in the text, and to see the meaning in context. I frankly lost count after more than a dozen instances, many of them different -- from Intensive Care Unit monitor lines going flat, to straight thinking versus labyrinthine, to honest test reporting versus shadiness, just to name a few. And a big one near the end of the book, which I wouldn't want to reveal here. Your reading will have to decide which of the many applies most strongly. Or perhaps they all do?

This has to be one of my all time favorite Dick Francis novels. It has everything a mystery should have in it - murder, missing jewels, mayhem... In my opinion, it's going to be difficult for Francis to top this one, but I can't wait while he keeps trying!

Straight takes the reader behind the scenes of the jewel trade and it's not an industry that's always on the up and up. Derek Franklin has been on a roller coaster ride of late as his steeplechase jockey career is nearing the end with him sustaining yet another injury. During his forced leave to heal, Derek finds out that his older brother, Greville, has been attacked and is on his deathbed. After his brother succumbs to his injuries, Derek is told that he has inherited his brother's business. Too late to protect himself, Derek realizes that his brother was a target and Derek suspects it has something to do with a fortune in missing diamonds.

This isn't a direct "who dun it" but also has a few subplots that are enjoyable in their own right. When Derek is summoned to his dying brother's hospital bed, the interaction (or lack there of) made me very thankful for the close relationship I have with my brothers and sisters. This thankfulness was reinforced throughout the story, as Derek learns more about his older brother and begins to understand him.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Derek is sure that a clue is hidden in his brother's computer, but he is unable to access the correct password. Greville's secretary comes to the rescue. After hearing the clues left by Greville, followed by a brief mind struggle, she comes up with the correct code word and up pops a message on the computer screen congratulating her and promising her a raise. Now that's the kind of boss I want - he sounds fun!

The only negative some may have with this book is that it is a detour for Dick Francis. As most of his books revolve around horseracing, his devoted fans have come to expect that background. In Straight the only reference to horseracing is the fact that Derek is an injured jockey.

Want to read a mystery that will have you guessing until the end? If so, then this is the book for you to read next! It's very enjoyable and will have you wondering until the very end.

A reader knows what they are getting with a Dick Francis book. The mystery will be well plotted, the hero (usually a jockey or former jockey) will bravely face whatever trials that face him overcoming his troubled past and/or secret sorrow and the action will center around the some part of the racing world. Every once in awhile though a surprise pops up, this time the jockey is thrust into the totally alien world of gems.

Jockey Derek Franklin has been sidelined by a broken ankle, shortly after his brother Grenville is murdered. As Derek tries to settle the estate he finds himself drawn more and more into his brother's world of finance, gems and quirky little gadgets. Gradually he begins to sort out the mysteries surrounding Grenville's life and death but soon discovers that there are others who are determined to keep him from the answers. In the end, of course all is revealed.

This is a well plotted and clever mystery. The clues are all there for the reader to follow. The characters are well written, and draw the reader into the story.

This book is a must have for every one. I have been in Sales, Product management and Sales Management for 15 years and read numerous books on the 'sales' side though this book sums up what most people including sales people do 90% of the time - negotiate.

The book is a very helpful tool in learning negotiations. His style of explaining the concepts makes it easy to understand and makes you want to get out and try your new skills.

There are two basic styles or strategies in negotiation literature: advantage seeking and joint gain finding. The best work on joint gain is the seminal work by Roger Fisher, Getting to Yes. The best work on advantage seeking is the work of Chester Karrass who extols high aspiration and concession management. The great thing about this book is that it is simultaneously the second best book in two very different paradigms. This is the best work on the topic of the information parties exchange as part of the negotiation process. That is why this is such an insightful work and worth every penny spent to buy it and hour it takes to read it Five stars and there are only four books in this entire niche subject that deserve that rating. Since I teach this stuff I read or at least skim scores of negotiation books. Many are thoroughly second rate. Reading a really good book on a subject you care about makes you want to write a review for Amazon. See.

I found myself dozing off to sleep sometimes just trying to get past some of the "duh" moments in this book. Perhaps only for newbie b-schoolers or those getting a start in a career where heavy negotiating is key will this book really be a benefit. Otherwise, the best parts were the self-assessment to determine your personal negotiation style, and the chapter about "leverage." Recommended for those who may not have had very much business or sales experience, or experience particularly in a global forum where dealing with international company execs is uncommon.

As a long time mediator I've read many books on the subject of negotiating. I found Bargaining for Advantage so informative I bought copies for my grown children. Shell brings science into the "art" of negotiating and makes sense of an often mysterious subject. My two daughters especially enjoyed the discussion of women and wages and why women may earn less than men - because they don't ask for more! If there are two or more people in a room, then there likely is negotiating taking place, at one level or another. Do yourself a favor and get this book.