Long Books

This was without reserve the best Christmas music and movie review book I have ever read. The comments were both intelligent and funny. The whole book was both well researched and entertaining. The world is a better place because of this book.

Once you get this book, you may not want to have another Christmas without it.

In more than 280 pages, the authors discuss all things Christmas as they pick their "Top 10" in categories ranging from mistletoe to carols, from rangifer tarandus (reindeer) to animated cartoons. The choices are necessarily subjective, and much of the text is funny, filled with references to pop culture, music, TV and film. Pick your idea of the 10 worst Christmas songs on the radio, and see if your list compares with theirs.

The authors include scads of trivia and the inside scoop on holiday history and traditions you may never have heard of.

As you enjoy the nostalgia you'll also find useless but fascinating stuff like this: Somebody figured out that Santa has to visit 91.8 million homes in 31 hours, which means he has to make 822.6 visits per second and travel at 650 miles per second. Whew!

This would be the perfect book to have on hand for guests at Christmas, and it would make a great conversation-starter. It's fully indexed, and the bibliography includes quite a few Web sites for follow-up.

CHRISTMAS'S MOST WANTED is a reference book about Christmas customs, traditions, songs, films, evergreen trees, music, cards, foods, and a lot more.

Do you associate a certain film with Christmas? Well, this book gives detailed information in the chapter called Holiday Movie Classics. Some of the old movies mentioned are: Holiday Inn (1942), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), It's A Wonderful Life (1946), The Bishop's Wife (1947), Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and White Christmas (1954). With each film, a brief summary of the storyline is given and all of the actors are named. I have to say that was my favorite chapter.

You can also learn about the tradition of mistletoe, sending cards, singing carols, how Santa's reindeer were named and questions you never even thought to ask!

The book answers a lot of questions and I thought it was well researched, but this is primarily a secular book so don't expect many religious topics. Most of the religious references are in the chapter called Nollaig Shona which is Merry Christmas in Irish. The two references that I found to the Magi (Wise Men or Three Kings) was in a paragraph about the song, "Twelve Days of Christmas." In the song, the Twelfth Day is the Epiphany, the day that the Three Kings brought gifts for the Baby Jesus. (That's the reason that many of us leave our Christmas trees up until, January 6, which is the twelfth day of Christmas). The other reference was about a piece that was done by Dave Brubeck.

The word Christmas comes from two words put together. They are Christ's Mass.

This book will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit as you learn everything you wanted to know about Christmas but are afraid to ask! I highly recommend this as a read for yourself and a stocking stuffer for others.

This book is a real treat. It's a lot of fun to read about all the different kinds of trivia in here. I love holiday music, and it talks about all the great ones, and some new ones I haven't heard of before! And the movies and cartoons, brings back a lot of childhood memories.

Tons of short, fun, interesting snippets of holiday information. Just perfect to pick and read for a few minutes. This book is the perfect holiday "bathroom" book, and I don't mean that in a bad way. There's something in here for everyone, and tons of short, fun, and interesting trivia about Christmas. As the other review said, you can read a chapter or two then come back to it later.

Leave it out for guests to read, too. It makes Christmas more fun!

Be sure and buy the digital version, so you can be stuck reading it with Adobe's sad excuse of an ebook reader.

Learning to troubleshoot, whether it's hardware or software or router for that matter, requires and understanding of the way troubleshooting works. Cormac Long put together and excellent reference manual to make sure you have the ability to make router work with little help.

In the first three chapters you get material on testing and diagnostics and the tools you'll need. Chapters 4 & 5 take on topics like serial communications, X.25 and frame relay. Finally in chapters 7 & 8 comes the routing protocols like RIP, IGRP, EIGRP, OSPF and BGP. There is also trouble-shooting help for other operating systems like Novell, AppleTalk, and IBM and switched Ethernet. Long includes review questions, hands-on exercises as well as diagrams, figures, tables and screen shots.

Overall a very complete reference manual to have with you.

I passed the CCIE lab 2 months ago. I fortunately bought this book in April and it was my number one reference by far! Packed with complex configurations and troubleshooting scenarios. All are explained in a detailed step by step manner. It covers everything EIGRP,OSPF,BGP,DLSW,IPX,Apple the works. I feel the need to express my gratitude to the author especially when I saw a review that is completely at odds with the other glowing reviews. I notice this reviewer (unlike the other ones) gives no information as to why they formed this opinion... Interesting... Anyway, my advice is simple- don't ignore a book that could help change your career, like it did mine.

Not much I can add to the already glowing reviews of this book, but I'll try. I used this along with several other books in prepping for the CIT exam, but this is the one I'm already rereading after successfully passing the exam.

Plenty of real-world information is packed into this highly-readable book. This one might not have the hype other Cisco books do, but it should. Just enough screen readout to illustrate what's going on. Great review questions.

I really cannot recommend this book highly enough. I started using it late into my CIT prep and found myself wishing I had gotten it earlier. Do yourself a favor and pick up this excellent work. I look forward to the author's next book!

I found this book the best for indepth detail into troubleshooting a variety of issues. Goes further than any of the other troubleshooting books( Syngress and even Cisco's CIT book) and actually the best Cisco book that I have read. It covers troubleshooting BGP and DLSW, unlike any of the other books and has been extremely useful for the job and for studying for the CIT exam.

This book is just about the most inspiring and amazing books I have ever read. The very first chapter completely forced me to look at how I view God and how it affects every part of my life. EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.

I rarely get real excited about devotional books. However, this has become one of my favorite books. It balances well the use of Scripture and the use of anecdotes. I shy away from books that rely strictly on stories to convey their message. This relies a lot on Scripture, but not so much as to be overwhelming or hard to read. It truly helped me to see God in a different way. I highly recommend this book!

We all have times of doubt about who God is and if His character is consistent with who He claims to be. Chip Ingram brings the one true God, the God Almighty, before you and gives you a clear understanding of who God is and why He is Lord of All. Chip Ingram is one of my favorite authors, there is no question he is led completely by the Holy Spirit and his style of writing is so personal that you are moved from the moment you begin reading his books. This book is no different from his others in that they are powerful, inspirational, and filled with a message straight from God. You will find yourself face to face with God throughout this book and you are sure to draw even nearer to Him. I would highly recommend this as well to anyone who is questioning their beliefs in God, a friend or relative who does not know God, or someone just struggling in life who needs to know God is with them. I HIGHLY recommend, "God As He Longs for You to See Him!"

This is one of the most influential books I have ever read. I recommend it to everyone, especially to anyone who struggles with their concept of God and how He sees us. Simply wonderful!

This book has given me a much deeper insight to God's character.Very much unlike ours.I would highly recommend this book to anyone.I bought several to give to members of my family.

AHHHH!!!

That's me venting my frustrating. I'm frustrated because writer Eric Kraft hasn't been getting nearly the attention he deserves for his work. It is hard to describe this book, I don't remember it in words so much as feelings. Feelings of joy, disappointment, sadness, anticipation, and above all satisfaction. Do not listen to the mediocre reviews, they are blind to the true genius of this book.

If they could make a pretty good movie from "Cider House Rules," why not one of Eric Kraft's novels...like this one? His latest makes clear how wonderfully well Kraft composes his "memoirs" on two or three or four levels at once. With "Inflating a Dog", he's perfected his approach such that the book is seamless, a joy to read, and completely absorbing. Never have I wanted to be Peter Leroy more than as he writes him in "Inflating a Dog." The conclusion is quiet and natural, a nice little jazz riff that ends on the perfect note. Luckily for me, I discovered Eric Kraft years ago and by chance read all of his books in order. This is far and away the easiest one to understand and is an ideal first Kraft to sample. When you do, you'll scramble to find the others.

There is nothing so beguiling, so mesmerizing, so mind-spinning as Inflating a Dog, at least not since Eric Kraft's last book. This book explores familiar Kraft themes: remembering and reconstructing the past (and for whose or what benefit?); desire and discovery; friendship; success and failure and what constitutes each; the nature of fiction(s). The writing is so elegant, so feather-light that you can read it too quickly, too easily, and feel that you've missed something. You have to -- you want to -- go back and read it again to make sure you've gotten it right.

The book is primarily Peter Leroy's rememberances of his mother and friends but it includes bits of Peter's current adult life. The book has both hilarious and heartbreaking passages, sometimes back to back. And it is always surprising, never predictable or common.

Characters from the earlier books appear and make you want to go back and remember what they were like then. Then you wonder if it goes with what they are like now, and then you wonder about the other earlier characters and what happened or will happen to them, and. . . , and. . ., and. Eric Kraft is a very inflationary writer, and to answer a question from an earlier book, he never stops (thank goodness).

Dear Mr. Kraft-- you have a great editor but either a) a terrible publicist or b) a devotion to anonymity, or c) I can't figure out c-- do I have to?.

Mr. Kraft, I don't mean to connect your works with the Harry Potter series. But, really, I don't understand why adults are not lining up at chainstores at midnight when your latest book is released. I can only believe that your modesty or shyness prevents this.

So, via a review that you will probably never read, I want to say:
Your books have changed my life, and the life of the twenty or more people who have shared my copies of your novels. My grandmother, aunts, uncles, family friends, and new-found friends have all been enriched by the adventures of Peter Leroy, his family, and other relations.

A personal thank you.

I read this quirky little book, but the whole time I felt like I was coming late to the party and had missed the punchline of the joke that was being told as I walked through the door. Sometimes this book moved from quirky to ...just plain silly and not really all that funny. If it had been a sit com, it would have needed a laugh track.

I think there needs to be some indication that, to truly "get" this book, the reader should read the author's previous ones.

The problem with a book like this, the eighth in a series, is that the author often forgets that the reader does not necessarily know the characters and that they need to be fleshed-out and developed for the new reader. Another thing I found is that the plot was very disorganized. There was just too much other stuff thrown in.

I felt like I was lost in a time warp, a reality-fantasy continuum and had no idea of what was happening. I think it was a clever book...but I am not really sure. One book critic said that "Kraft is such a skilled writer that the reader never feels left behind"---well, this reader did!

However, I did enjoy all two aspects: the stories of Peter's mother's failed entrepreneurial schemes (and his attempts to save her) and his questioning of his paternity and the reasons why.

This is a good book, with sound advice for retirees and near-retirees. It is short, easy to read, and to the point. The author discusses numerous types of investment vehicles and the pros and cons of each; and investment strategies, with pros and cons for each. One potential investment that was not discussed was the charitable gift annuity, which I intend to use when I retire.

I gave the book 4 stars because there are numerous typos, mostly misplaced commas and missing fractions. For instance, the mandatory beginning IRA or 401(k) withdrawal age is listed in the book as 70 _, not 70 1/2. Similarly, the age to avoid withdrawal penalties is listed as 59 _, not 59 1/2.

The book mentions software on a CD, which is supposed to be included with the book, but did not come with my book. There is software you can download from the author's web site, but this downloaded software, while good, will not do the functions discussed in the book. To get that functionally, you would need to purchase the full version of the software from Torrid Technologies for $89 or $169, depending on whether you need individual or couple analysis.

Overall, a good retirement primer for creating income in retirement while making sure your assests last at least as long as you do.

I purchased this book in the hopes that I would be able to help my father increase his income. He is well into retirement and his income is not keeping up with his expenses. The book was easy to use and finding additional ways to increase his income was easy to do. I recommend this book to anyone who not only wants to increase investment income but needs to help others do so as well.

Craig Rappaport has done a GREAT job in taking the mystery out of financial investment jargon. Terms are brought down to earth so that we all can understand investments and investment strategy. This book will empower you to ask smarter questions and make smarter decisions that can result in greater wealth accumulation at retirement. If you've sat helplessly listening to a financial advisor talk over your head, this is the book for you. Instead of being at the mercy of an advisor, you will have a greater knowledge of financial options and be better able to work with an advisor to meet your financial wealth expectations. I only wish he had written it 20 years ago!

I just retired and have been speaking with my financial planner about how much income my accounts can produce and at what withdrawal rate I should use for my 401K. I brought up just a few of the points made in the book that my broker had not considered and we are using them as the basis for my plan. Everytime I read a chapter I seem to be able to understand and use the information in discussions with my broker. When I think of a change I might make I just plug the new numbers into the software and see how it will effect my results. It's easy to use and adjust. Best of all, my broker asked for the name of the book.

I haven't finished reading this book yet and I'm already hoping for a sequel. This book is so easy to follow and understand. The one issue that no author seems to address is how do you create a paycheck or generate cash flow from your investments. Live Long, Live Rich covers this topic very well. And as far as the software that Mr. Rappaport recommends, I've already upgraded to the full version. It's as easy to use as stated. So, with the mouse in one hand and the book in the other, our retirement plan is becoming much clearer. This book has helped us see the big picture.

I found this an absorbing, literary read, and like the other reviewers I first read this while living out East (in the 90s - Hong Kong & S'pore). I am amazed on re-reading it how many of the actions and attitudes of the characters - British, Malay, Indian, Chinese, American - along with so many of the secondary details, were still relevant and recognizable among Easterners and Western expats of today. The main story makes fine reading, too. In fine language, Anthony Burgess (who was a colonial civil servant in Malaya and spoke Malay) describes the last few years of British rule and the troubled handover to independance. There is a lot of enjoyable detail about life in the Malay peninsula at the time - many good scenes and vignettes, but what comes across clearly by the end is the uneasiness and ambiguity felt by Burgess about the future of independant Malaya and Singapore - he is worried about the hatred of the various ethnic communities for each other and the slim hold of British law, also the lack of interest among educated locals (besides the ones with marketable skills and talents who emigrated to new lives and identities in the First World) for anything other than technological development. Many of these concerns have sadly been born out - the split between Malaysia and Singapore, the second class status of the Malays in S'pore, of the Chinese in Malaysia, of the Indians in both places, the soulessness of the modern nightlife of KL and S'pore. Law in Malaysia is today a farce - witnewess the treatment of the politician Anwar, once Prime Minister Mahathir's 2nd-in-command, put in the dock seemingly forever for what was known in Singapore as "the endless buggery trial"; and Singapore under Harry Lee Kuan Yew has an even worse legal system (read Christopher Lingle's account, *Singapore's Authoritarin Capitalism*, or Francis Seow's, *A Dissident in Lee Kuan Yew's Prisons*). But this is a vivid, funny and moving novel above all - perhaps especially so if you have any connection with that part of the world, but of course it works brilliantly also if you're just looking for a good, cracking read. The thing I remember thinking after reading this was how sad it is that so many talented Malaysians and Singaporeans emigrate to other countries to get away from the sad realities at home. Burgess forsaw some of this, as well as much more. This is a classic about Malaya/Singapore the same way Paul Theroux's *Kowloon Tong* so accurately describes Hong Kong at the end (for which it was given the honor of being banned by China). Time for a Tiger!

One thing I have always admired about Anthony Burgess's novels is the compassion that he quietly conveys for his characters. They are all flawed: imperfect archetypes, reluctant saviours, apologetic swearers, gin mixed in with the orange crush. And we recognize ourselves in them all for this essential humanity, their endless struggle or acquiescence, for or against their unlikely fates. Burgess's humour is rueful and sharp: wistful disappointment and calm despair are the backdrop for his characters' heroic protests or desperate affairs.

He also writes with a playfulness and intelligence that shines through every page. His sentences are as angular and memorable as his characters. His debts to Joyce and Shakespeare unite in his own unique style.

The Long Day Wanes shows much of Burgess at his best, his setting and characters memorable vehicles for their fates and larger themes. The setting in Malaya is a world apart: inner struggles against human desires, social forces against cultural divides. While writing of a world that fast disappears, he tells us a story old as the Malayan jungle.

This ranks as one of the funniest books ever written, while being at the same time a social history of Malaysia, or Malaya as it was known under British Rule. The first book of the trilogy deals with the last days of British colonialism (hence the title "The Long Day Wanes") through the misadventures of a remittance man named Nabby Adams, a civil servant, his wife, household staff, and local government characters. The second novel follows the civil servant and his failing marriage through the guerilla years in the struggling nation, and the third is The Coming of the Americans. These three events have been a sort of template for late 20th century global affairs. It's a tight trilogy that reflects historical and social changes through its characters in the satirical literary slapstick characteristic of Burgess at his best. If you've never read Burgess, this is the place to start. It will bring you an appreciation of "where he's coming from," literally: it is based upon his experiences as a British Civil Servant in the waning days of the Empire (upon which the sun set 30 June 1997 with the cession of Hong Kong to Red China). This review was originally published in June 1997 and with some site changes, my name got lost and Amazon was unable to transfer the review with my name attached, so this is a reprint of that earlier one.

I run hot & cold on Burgess (mainly warmish). This was a burner.

The characters were "real" people with "real" foibles. The humor wasn't forced but found in the out-of-ordinary events of ordinary folks.

This is a great starting place for readers new to Burgess.

Anthony Burgess was quite a character. Anyone familiar in the least with his life and work or who has read, say, the first volume of his Autobiography is aware of his splendid cussedness. He was also polymathic and erudite in the extreme. He's one of the few writers who read and reread and had (as well as any human being is capable) a grasp of Finnegans Wake - As his alter ego, Crabbe, muses to himself here, "Everything in Finnegans Wake made sense eventually, if one waited for it."---He was also, of course, a gifted composer and many other things.

The motive for my mentioning this personal information is that this "Malayan Trilogy" is highly autobiographical, and it adds verisimilitude (ach, what a dashed clunky but apt word) and zest to the reading of it to know a bit about its author. But, of course, one really need not know a thing about Burgess to enjoy his work.

In it, Burgess, in the form of Crabbe and other characters, doesn't fail to put his interests in language and musical composition etc. on display. But what really makes this book more than a pale copy of a Somerset Maugham work - Crabbe reflects, at one point, that he is the epitome of a character out of a Maugham short story - is the cantankerous humour and brio which enliven the book. It's not MERELY the gin-sodden Brit expats being swallowed into the jungle to which they came, ostensibly, to bring the "rule of law", but also a glowingly absurd and tragic account of the interactions between people and peoples, between husbands and wives, between rulers and ruled, all written in a way that, well, only Burgess could write.

Yes, I agree with the other reviewers, the Amaricanisation of what is now called Malaysia is a sad thing. - No more eccentrics in their linen flannels quaffing gin on their verandahs before noontide. - But, truly, the saddest thing is that there aren't any writers of Burgess's stripe around now to chronicle such things so richly.

This book is a wonderful "visit" to Abania. We visited there last year and fell in love with the people there. I highly recommend it.Very interesting!

Albania is a third-world European nation with dismal gray communist block buildings littering the cities, and more than 600,000 concrete pill boxes land studding its countryside and beaches. For the past fifty years, under the tyrannical dictatorship of the communist leader Enver Hoxha and his isolation from the rest of the world, the people of Albania have languished. After 50 years of no contact with the outside world what must the Albanians have thought when they awoke in 1991 to the fast-paced, competitive world of the 21st century?

Northern Albania (High Albania) is a totally different land than the South. High Albania is an intriguing part of the country that retains separate customs and identity. Marjorie Senechal interviewed scores of ordinary men and women with the intent of discovering who these people are, what have they been through, and what does the future look like to them. She invites the common people of Albania to talk candidly - and talk they do. Without the past fears of being beaten, jailed, or even killed for expressing their thoughts they now talk openly about their children, their work, their problems, their fears and even their dreams. Each interview is accompanied by portrait style photos. Stan Sherer has chosen B&W photography to capture the soul of this suffering country. Sherer does a commendable job in discovering both the ethos of these people and the beauty of this part of the country. His photos reveal a balance between the despair and backwardness of Albania, and the strength of will and hospitality that are found in its people .

The harmonious marriage of text and photos is divided into four chapters: ancient history, the past 100 years, the emerging present, and the hope for the future. In Albania it remains a daily struggle just to survive. Yet despite these difficulties, the traditional Albania toast - "Long life to your children" - is a cry for the future, a future of dreams fulfilled.

This book talks about life in Albania from an outsiders view, however it also introduces you to many citizens of the country, doctors, lawyers, farmers, students, etc. and allows them to speak to you in their own words. I found this very refreshing since many other books don't give you that personal connection to a country. The book is also filled with great pictures. Many Albanians are frustrated that the West has decried communism for so many years, yet now that that these countries have embraced democracy, they feel lost, they need help and don't feel that the international community has done enough. After reading this book, I am sure you will agree that a "Marshall Plan" should be implemented in the Balkans. I know this was mentioned during and after the bombing of Kosova.

A very well written and organized book. It describes this amazing country and its people in a very original and pleasant way. A must read.

This book is a definte highlight and must have for anyone intested in Ghegeria (North ALbania). Long Life to your children is an excellent book with fantastic literary content about the culture and way of live for many Malesores (Higlanders) of North Albania. Anyone interested in Gheg clan culture and the typical life of many North ALbanians will find this book of valuable isight. There are also many wonderful photographs throughout the book to accomapny the text and provide a picture of what the North of The Land of The Eagle looks like. Shume i Mire (Very Good). A definite item to have in your collection of Albania.

Dwight, please give us another 20 years of words.

dwight yoakam has always been my favorite rockabilly, and he will always be. this is a great book and yes a must have. love the lyrics, even knowing i have the lyrics already on his cd's i still love the book a worth haveing if youre a fan of dwight yoakam's. worth every penny. a happy fan

I have every CD Dwight Yokham has ever put out, plus ever video clip he sings on CMT, and I would love nothing better to come to the States to hear him sing live in concert, as I have recently discovered I am terminally ill and there is no cure or treatment for my disease, as it so rare. I will keep on watching CMT to get as much as Dwight Yokahm as I can before this dreadful disease claims me, and then when I get to heaven I am going to ask God to put CMT on in heaven, so I can still listen to him up there. I am 46, happily married with 2 children, Tamara who is 26 and simon who is 24 and getting married on Easter Sunday next year, and hopefully, I will still be around until then.

Monica Sprott

Dwight Yoakam does not write complex lyrics. What he writes are lyrics of deep emotion and unsurpassed longing. Without the twang-and-swing of his honky-tonk melodies, these songs are reduced to their bared bones, stripped and displayed in all their anguish and despair. From the straightforward "It won't hurt when I fall down from this barstool; it won't hurt when I stumble in the street; it won't hurt 'cause this whiskey eases misery; but even whiskey cannot ease your hurting me" to the more thought-provoking "Don't look inside, don't look there, 'cause you might find yourself somewhere, walking around lost and alone, without one clue that it's a long way home" Dwight speaks to the heart and the mind, and to deeper emotions.

"Twelve Years of Words" is printed as a simple, straightforward book of poetry, introduced with Dwight's eloquent, thoughtful prose. It is true that anyone who has the CDs already has the lyrics, printed on each CD insert. But there is a beauty in this presentation, all of his poems gathered together into one slim little volume without the music. I'm very much hoping that, in time, there will be "Twenty Years of Words" and it will be updated as he continues to write those simple, elegant, words.

I saw this book in the public library, and I knew I had to have a copy of my own. Yoakam was reared in Columbus, Ohio, where I live, and I think he is the freshest talent in music in any genre. His lyrics are simple and direct and tell wonderful stories; it's as if he can look into everyone else's hearts when it comes to differing emotions. I am a fan of this man's music, and he's a great actor, too. I appreciate that he has not sold himself to pop music like other country stars -- but then again, I don't consider him a country star. He's carved a niche of his own. Bless you, Dwight, and your mom (she still lives here!).

The book was great if you can keep an open mind. The book can really change your hiking style.

I read this book when it first came out and it blew my paradigms out of the water--and not just in regard to backpacking! Jardine slays many of the "sacred cows" of backpacking here. This is the book that launched the lightweight backpacking revolution.

Concepts I had always accepted as the "conventional wisdom" of backpacking: you must wear big heavy boots, you must carry a big heavy pack, etc., etc. were demolished by Jardine. His ability to think so far outside the box was really astonishing. He made so much sense, I was amazed I hadn't seen these things before. It actually made me look at other areas of my life to see where else I needed to recognize blind spots and think outside the box.

Great ideas that will help you enjoy the wilderness more. From the man who invented camming devices for rock climbing and I'm pretty sure he was the first person to climb at 5.12 level.

This book completely transformed the way I plan and execute multi-day backpacking trips. What's more is that the transformation was literally overnight. In August of 1998, before I read the book, I hiked 187 miles on the PCT in 14 days and averaged about 13 miles per day. After that hike, I bought this book an went back out on the PCT two weeks later to apply Jardine's methods, which resulted in covering 221 miles in 9 days for an average of almost 25 miles per day. I was able to double my daily mileage just by reading the book!

Its not just the increased mileage that impressed me, but also the increased comfort. Because I was able to lighten my load tremendously, I was more comfortable while hiking and not as worn out when I stopped. No more back pains from huge and heavy packs.

Almost all the techniques that Jardine teaches are simple and easy to learn. Like I said above, in just two weeks, I was able to apply everything in the book that appealed to me and the results were immediate and direct.

Some people do not like Jardine's authoritative writing style, but it didn't bother me in the least. I jsut took the ideas that I liked and didn't bother with the few I found to be unappealing.

Being an Eagle Boy Scout, I was prepared for everything. In fact, I was so prepared I could hardly carry my pack. Ray Jardine has shown me a new way: less is more. Less weight is more enjoyment while backpacking.

Last summer I walked 515 miles using the techniques in Jardines book. I walked through the entire state of Washington. I encountered rain, snow, mosquitos galore and a host of other problems that were all easily handled with the techniques outlined in Ray's book. I even made my own backpack on an old Singer sewing machine with the plans in the book. I wore running shoes the whole way. I finished the hike in 23 days, counting the five rest days I took. This book is excellant, not to mention well written.

After reading his earlyworks you can see how Chandler used his previous stories and ideas to develop these incredible novels featuring his most famous detective Philip Marlowe.

Chandler is arguably the best detective story writer out there. If you expand this genre to all mystery writers, he would still be one of the best.

Detective stories aren't as common as they once were, but if you look at the offspring of the Pulp magazine once so popular, television, they are still as popular as ever. Chandler was one author who defined what a detective story was. This book contains four novels:The Lady in the Lake, The Little Sister, The Long Goodbye, and Playback. These are wonderfully entertaining stories that contain the archetypical hard-bitten detective, Philip Marlowe. After reading these stories you will forever see Marlowe in every detective story you see or read, from Magnum to the latest TV cop. How can you not love an author who sums up Modern American Capitalism with lines like these? "We make the finest packages in the world, Mr. Marlowe. The stuff inside is mostly junk." Or an author who in the early 50's, (50 years before the current 'Queers Dress Up' shows) so presciently wrote, "The queer is the artistic arbiter of our age, chum." Or his comment on a speech by a politician, "He did not bore us with any facts."
These books are not just riveting, fun reading, but full of thoughtful quotes like the above.

Chandler also is must-reading for his understanding of criminality, venality, human nature, Southern California, Movies, American culture and American relationship dynamics. I hate to use the word "classic" to describe stories that are just so plain fun to read, but I find it hard not to.

This volume also contains a screenplay, Double Indemnity, and a few essays and letters. The essays "The Simple Art of Murder", and "Writers in Hollywood" should be required reading for anyone interested in 20th century culture, movies, and literature. Just a few tidbits more. Chandler on English Mystery Writers - "The English may not always be the best writers in the world, but they are incomparably the best dull writers." Chandler on boredom - "There are no dull subjects, only dull minds." Chandler on critics - "The average critic never recognizes an achievement when it happens. He explains it after it has become respectable."

My only criticism is that the plots are contrived and sometimes complicated. But such criticism is like complaining that the Mona Lisa would be a fine painting if only it were of a different size.

Chandler is simply wonderful, funny, cynical, and yes, - respectable.

First, let me say that there's a separate volume of Chandler's early novels. As much as I liked this volume, I actually enjoyed the earlier novels just a little bit more and suggest starting there. I started reading one story and wound up going through all of them in both volumes in the space of a few months. I also wound up reading and enjoying all the Dashiell Hammett stories, but I give Chandler a slight edge.

I won't try to list all the ways these novels are great and entertaining, but here's one thought that hasn't been mentioned in other reviews. Chandler is excellent at presenting a hero-character who has to worry about money and making a living. Indeed, Chandler makes this issue integral to the character's persona and to the plot line. Yes, the books are escapist in so many ways. Yet, in this respect at least, they are far more realistic than almost all of the fiction, and much of the non-fiction, these days.

This book, contaning Chandlers later works, is perhaps the best collection of Chandler you can find. Sure, does not contain the better-known novels - The Big Sleep and Farewell my Lovely - but it does contain The Long Goodbye, which is not only Chandler's finest, but a great novel by any measure.

Chandler lived a tough, hard-drinking life, and these later works came out of his mind with difficulty. But the quality of The Lady in the Lake and The Long Goodbye (The Little Sister is less memorable) make this collection essential.

In addition, the book contains some essays and letters, including Chandler's writing on the mystery genre, which will interest any budding suspense author.

In short, read this book! Read The Long Goodbye, then read it again. This is not just a great mystery, but it is also great literature.

C-L-A-S-S-I=C HIGH/low notes. These stories are like a deck cards, all aces...... but there are way too few left. I finished "Little Sisters" (GREAT), "Farewell, My Lovely"- is recommended in the other half (earlier edition). The hook is Marlow. In times where many take the easy/cheap way out, I ride hard with Marlow. Marlow does it with style, humor, wit, grit, and nothing less than an all american: get the job done. But in a way that is the opposite his nemesis: the monopolies of power & money. Of course they admire and hate him. But it just doesn't get any better than Chandler. Need an excuse? Then read it for the wrting alone. The best!