N Books

I purchased this text for my class on Java Programming. I never had experience with any Object Oriented Programming (OOP) languages such as C++, C# and Java before. I love the way that this text introduces the concepts "Object" and "UML" and tries to familiarize you with complex terminology and structure of Java. Sometimes you feel confused with terms such as method, class, argument, identifier adn etc., but the way that this text presents and gives the examples for each of them is excellent. Case Study examples are complete with thorough explanations and are "oriented to objects".

No doubt that I am confident in giving 5 stars to this text. However, I must mention couple cons I encountered in the text and I hope Authors will take'm into consideration in future editions:

1) "Error Prevention", "Good Programming Practice" and other tips occur in the middle of the text quite frequently and therefore are sometimes a bit distracting when you read the text. However, sometimes they do contain very important concepts and definitions for terminologies which are very pricy to ignore or skip (sometimes I did so in order to focus on the main text:-( ). Therefore I would urge the authors to incorporate those tips into the text so that readers would neither skip those concepts nor be distracted by frequent occurance of the tips.

2) I personally had difficulty in installing the JDK and JRE's latest versions and the directions in the text are not user friendly.

3) The "Examples" folder in CD does not have Appendix M.

Nonehteless, these cons do not affect the overall quality of the text, and again, it is highly recommended to own one!

There is no other book which is so complete and student oriented like this. It is worth any penny of its price. It covers programming from the basics and it takes you to an intermediate level of knowledge. The presentation of the ULM stuff in combination with OOD/OOP is super.

If you want to learn Java from scratch this is the book!

Used this book for a hybrid Introduction to Java Program Course. Didn't need to e-mail the professor at all for help on assignments or online tests. I recommend either jGrasp or Netbeans for your compiler. Used both and they were both extremely helpful.

I purchased this book after I had taken a Java class that used the Head First Java book as a textbook. I could not stand trying to use that book, so I purchased the Deitel book. It is a great book to learn java and to use as a reference. I have continued to use this book in every java class I have had and even purchased another Deitel book (C#) because they are so informative and easy to use.

I bought this book for a sophomore computer science class on OO and web-design. This was one of the worst textbooks I've come across. The examples are old. (Who really wants another Employee class example?). The text is full of 'helpful' facts that are often obscure and distracting. This book never really explained the most important topics of OO (such as polymorphism) in a way that I understood.

Computer Science textbooks should not be sold based on weight but on content. Do yourself a favor and purchase Head First Java.

This book is great. It has really helped me focus on Jesus life here on earth. It has made me dig deeper to discover and wonder about the details. Beth Moore's applications of the passages have brought it to life.

So far this is my favorite Beth Moore book. I've already read it twice and am sure to read it again. She tackles a very familiar story with fresh insights just about every chapter. It's not a "preachy" book. Rather she makes you feel like you're a fellow learner with a good friend. Unlike some of her other books, this does not require looking up many references which makes it ideal to read when you're reading somewhere other than your desk at home.

I have been in numerous Beth Moore Bible studies and this is one of my favorites! This is the study of Christ's life in the form of a daily, personal study. It is 53 short chapter messages.

You can never go wrong with a Beth Moore study. She has a gift for opening the Word and revealing Truth!
I would not buy from this seller, however. It took almost an entire month for it to arrive.

As always, I am very satisfied with the Beth Moore studies. She does an excellent job and everything is well researched and Biblical.

Yum! This book is great! Easy to follow. Check out the BBQ chicken. My parents came over for the first time for dinner (I'm a newly wed) and they ooohh and ahhhh over the BBQ chicken and wanted to know what I did. Anyways, I can't wait to try other recipes in the book! A must recipe book to own for busy or newly wed people like me!

I can't say how much we have enjoyed this cookbook. It inspired my son (older teenager) to actually learn how to cook and cook well. Instead of grabbing a hamburger, he now looks in this cookbook and makes something to eat at home. The recipes are healthy and tasty and easy to prepare.

Fantastic book for treating myself right with a tasty, healthy dinner a couple nights a week.

Has also put me at ease with a few practiced recipes that I am confident serving to dates.

Jen's approach makes it just as easy and fast to whip up a healthy personally crafted meal as it would have been to warm up some Stouffer's. A MUST OWN for anyone who needs a cook book.

This cookbook makes it possible to cook healthy, tasty food after you've worked all day and without any compromises. Jennifer is an extremely talented and inspiring writer and cook and unlike most cooks, knows nutrition! As a busy Mom herself, you can't get better advice on what pleases kids. This is not just a list of good healthy recipes (the wonton soup and fruit compote for example are fabulous), but unlike other cookbooks, she actually explains in her introduction professional cooks' best kept secrets and is an inspiration for maintaining the delight of being with your family for a simple, delicious home cooked meal. Say goodbye to those styrofoam take-out dinners, Jennifer shows you how to cook a healthier, cheaper meal in about the same time. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that there are so few pictures, but the layout and design are topnotch.

As a mother of two picky under 8-year old boys this cookbook has been a treasure. My kids enjoy helping whip these dinners, lunches and breakfasts up with me and on top of that they enjoy eating them also.
We now have banana pancakes with honey-butter for breakfast instead of the usual high fat, high sugar, low nutrient breakfast cereals. They enjoy sandwiches other than pb&j for lunch (and yes, they are no-trade lunches as the title of the chapter says!) with veggies and a little dipping sauce. Our dinners are not as stressful for me because Jennifer teaches you how to stalk your pantry so you can get home and answer that age-old question "What's for dinner?" in a matter of minutes by surveying your supplies. Jennifer's cookbook brings the fun back to the kitchen. Thank you!

I met Michael Morris at a writers conference in 1999 way before he had any books out. He looked like a young John Grisham, working in a job where he interacted with Washington D.C officials. 'But, what I really want to do...' he said, with his head bowed, as if he were suddenly shy 'is write'. I looked at him and thought, 'Who doesn't, you're one of a million'. Two days later, after Michael and his wife returned to their home in the deep south, I picked up his new manuscript and began to read...and was stunned...this guy was gifted! I called my agent and said, 'You have got to sign this guy, this book is a winner.' She did. And that book, A PLACE CALLED WIREGRASS went on to win the Christy Award (like an Emmy ...for writing). Michel and his family remained friends with my family and while I was working on my forth book FLYING BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS: Flight Attendant Adventures on a Wing and a Prayer, he was working on his next novel. Then he called one day and said 'There is this song on the radio you have to listen too...it's called LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING and it's my story.' I said, 'That's great Michael, maybe you should call Tim McGraw and tell him that. Ha Ha Ha.' (I was joking because no one we knew...knew how to contact Tim McGraw') A few days later, Michael called and sounded in shock, 'I didn't have to call Tim McGraw,' he said, 'his people contacted me. Marsha, It's like it was meant to be.' LIKE YOU WERE DYING is a true story, not just for the father of Tim McGraw..but for Michael Morris as well...maybe that's why it's ringing in the hearts of so many people. And now, as this his third book sells around the world - and he is writing his forth, I don't think Michael Morris is one OF a million, but, one IN a million.

Michael Morris is a name well-known to fans of Christian fiction, particularly novels that cross over well into mainstream bookstores. His 2003 release, SLOW WAY HOME, was named one of the best novels of the year by two secular newspapers in U.S. cities. LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING, a 178-page novella, may well receive similar accolades for the year 2004.

As country music fans might suspect, the book is based on the lyrics from a Tim McGraw hit of the same title, written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman. Morris took the lyrics and fashioned a story that seamlessly integrates all the elements of the song --- a grave medical diagnosis, the ensuing quest for adventure, mended relationships, and a reconnection with God.

In Morris's version, Nathan Bishop cheats death in an industrial accident, only to have the resulting x-rays reveal a much more serious problem. Weighing his medical options, Nathan decides it's time that he starts to live as if he were dying. That means, in part, doing risky things he's never done before, like skydiving and riding a bull, both of which are activities mentioned in the lyrics. That also means doing things he never took the time to do, like spending time with his wife and 12-year-old daughter. And finally, it means doing things he never wanted to do, like forgiving his father.

I have to confess that I was fully prepared to dislike this book. I figured that not even Morris could avoid producing a book that seemed contrived, since the content would be forced to fit the lyrics --- and the lyrics of a country song at that. But Morris proved he was more than equal to the task. Nothing about this book felt forced or inauthentic, and there's none of the "fluff" that I anticipated in a book of this type.

Among the many strengths: Morris's excellent command of the language, realistic dialogue (one of the aspects of quality fiction that too many authors fail to produce), and believable characters. In that last category, two of the standouts are Nathan's father and grandmother, two people who easily could have become stereotypes in the hands of a lesser author. Ron Bishop is reserved and remote, the kind of father who has never been able to show his affection. But Morris avoids casting him in a predictable light or overdoing it with a lot of commentary on why he is the way he is. Ron Bishop just is. And that makes him believable.

Grand Vestal, Nathan's grandmother, gets my unofficial award for "best portrayal of an elderly woman." If, like me, you've noticed that elderly women in Christian fiction are nothing at all like many of the elderly women in your life, you'll be glad to meet Grand Vestal. Morris apparently recognized the fact that older women are, well, not your father's grandmother. They aren't necessarily the sweet, simpering, saccharine women who call everyone "dearie" in too many other Christian novels, nor are they necessarily feisty, oddball characters that exist somewhere else along the caricature spectrum. They're real, multidimensional people --- just like everyone else. Amazing that so few writers seem to realize that. Thankfully, Morris does.

My first time through this book, before I knew I would be reviewing it, I made a note to myself on the end flap: "Excellent in every way." That assessment still stands.

I read Michael Morris's other novels and loved them. The stories are realistic and the characters well drawn. When I picked up this book I was not so sure that it would be as strong. The fact that it is based on a song made me think that it would be too melodramatic. I was wrong. While the story is sweet, the characters are well drawn and the message behind the story made me stop and think about my own life choices.

THIS BOOK SEEMED TO BE THE PERFECT STORY TO READ DURING THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. IT REMINDED ME OF AN UPDATED 'IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE'. A MAN WHO FACES DEATH MUST THEN FACE THE FATHER HE HAS ALWAYS DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM. THE BOOK IS VERY MUCH LIKE THE FAMOUS SONG BUT IT PROVIDES MORE BACKGROUND INTO THE MAN'S THOUGHTS AND THE PEOPLE THAT HE PUSHES AWAY UNTIL ITS ALMOST TOO LATE. THIS IS A FEEL-GOOD BOOK THAT PULLS AT YOUR HEART!

I loved this book! It was so good! The book was just as powerful as the song. It makes you realize what you have and you should not take advantage of it.

We bought this for our nephew's 4th birthday. I must say that I spent at least an hour looking through the book before I wrapped it. I thought it was really cool and couldn't get over how the closer you looked, the more you would see. Aidan liked the book but was much more interested in his sea of presents on his birthday. However, my brother tells me that after a few days, Aidan went back to this book and started looking at it with my brother. He loves it and gets excited when he can figure out what the items are.

I bought all of Steiner's books for my three year old for Christmas. This one is by far his favorite. I love reading each page and he finishes every sentence. If I would let him he would sleep with this book every night and it's fun for adults to look at too!!

The creativity oozes from this book. You'll never look at ordinary products in the same way again. The creative author of this book takes ordinary items and creates unique display pictures. You or your child can spend hours looking at each picture to see which unique items are used, and how they are used. Great gift, and great for libraries to have on hand

These books are spectacular, we play "I spy" with them and see something new every time.

What a wonderful book! I bought the book as a gift for my nephew and enjoyed it so much I nearly didn't want to give it away! Needless to say my nephew was delighted and loves the book. It's a great way to spend quality time with the younger generation, you will get as much pleasure as they do, finding all the cleverly arranged objects. A great way to wile away a cold winter's eve.

p70. This book just did not pull me in. The plot was not interesting enough. Recovering widow meets hot divorced grumpy man - yeah that is OK but I am already on p70 and nothing is happening of interest. They get drunk, go to the grocery store, try to buy shades, get oil in their furnace, get a table, yeah yeah yeah - whatever I am bored. So much for a contemporary novel - I liked Jennifer Blake's Louisiana Dawn and Jen Hollings Shadow Warrior historical fiction so much more!

I liked the book; thought it was realistic while entertaining. Difficult to put down once you get into it. Thought an epilogue would have helped.

I've read a lot of books, but this is the first I've reviewed. I love this book, for every reason reviewers before me said: the characters aren't perfect, the story is more "real", etc. I got sucked in at the very beginning and have already re-read it soon after finishing it. It's a very well written story. I am glad I own this book, versus checking it out from the library.

This is one of my all time favorite romance books. I think it is mostly because of the realness of the story and the author's ability to capture your interest from start to ending. I couldn't put it down. The ending brought a chill.........you won't be sorry with this one.

This one you'll love also. He's rough around the edges, but he gets straightened out. He just needed a little love. He has a bit of a dirty mouth but I managed to love the book.

This was purchased for my daughter who happens to be a huge Lucy fan. She thoroughly enjoyed it as it is chock full of reproduced letters, articles and other memorabilia. It makes a wonderful gift.

What a wonderful gift Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. have given to the fans of their parents. This book will warm your heart, make you smile, and bring tears to your eyes. It will make you feel like you snuck into Lucy's closet and found her scrapbook sitting on the shelf. I got goosebumps when I saw the enevelope written by Desi that said 'To my darling'. I almost felt like an intruder when I pulled out the Valentine for Lucy that was inside. There are photos, letters, clippings, and side notes, all beautifully assembled. This is a must have have for anyone who has ever loved Lucy, Desi, Vivian, and William.

When I received this book in the post I did not put it down for a least an hour. It was so thoughtfully put together and showed all of Desi and Lucy's fans just how much they loved and cared for each other thoughtout their lives.
My most memorable areas are the little pieces written by the couple describing their thoughts and how they felt about each other. Lucy's words about Desi's death really struck me as although she had been married for 25 years she still felt his death hard.
My daughter who is only aged 15 years also could not put it down and was especially interested in the reproductions of the important letters and documents.
We both love it and it is certainly a must for the bookshelf of any Lucy and Desi fan.

If you are a Lucy Fan then you simply must buy this book! I just received mine and sat mesmorized by it, it is now my favorite Lucy item I have. I have an enormous collection of everything to do with Lucy or I LOVE LUCY you can imagine and this Scrapbook is so incredible.....it's honestly as if you are looking at the original scrapbook and you are even able to pull out inserts on several pages.....passport, letters, etc. I am not joking, if you are a collector of Lucy things and you do not have this Scrapbook then you are missing an incredible addition to your collection. The price is really great considering all you get. Words truly are not enough....I'll never ever get tired of looking at this!!!! Don't just think about buying it, buy it this minute!!!

The scrapebook was execellent. I enjoyed every little thing about it. It was great of all the document that were in there. This is a great book.

`To be in a state of unawareness is the highest goal for a carver,' whispers the master, his voice already lost in the wind.

Alyson Richman wrote an especially poetic debut novel and after reading The Mask Carver's Son, I can't imagine not reading every book she writes. Her delicate writing style softens tragedy and awakens beauty.

"On the days when her early departure left a coldness and an aching emptiness in their bed, he would rise minutes after her. He would walk toward their small paper window and slide it ever so slightly to one side. Just to watch her, if only for a moment, as she glided through the garden as ethereal as a ghost."

The detailed descriptions of Kiyoki's life are inspired by Meiji period artists and will be deeply appreciated by anyone who is inclined towards heightened aesthetic awareness. There is no need to be an artist to understand the emotions and longings of Kiyoki, but you may find yourself wishing to learn to paint or to enter this fascinating world where he lives and breathes beauty as if it is life itself. The scent of cedar wood lingers throughout the pages, as does the scent of fresh paint on a canvas and plums freshly plucked from a tree. Sorrow and love mingle effortlessly and create a bittersweet story of hope despite struggle.

As Kiyoki struggles with the ghosts of his past, he comes to terms with his place in the world as opposed to his ancestor's wishes and dreams for his life. The Mask Carver's Son is not only a story of an artist's life; it is a place you may wish to live. The writing leaves you feeling nostalgic for a world you can only access through this book. If you love stories like Memoirs of a Geisha, this story may intrigue you.

~The Rebecca Review

I can only describe this novel as lyrical; the language sets the tone for the entire tale. A young man struggles with the decision to persue his dream even though he feels it might be disrespectful to his foster father. The artistic talent he has is both a blessing and a curse and his personal relationships suffer because of that.
Ms. Richman's writing is crisp and ethereal at the same time and the reader is transported to another time and place that is almost palpable. Ignore the editorial spelling mistakes and enjoy this book for the art it is.

Actually, even every paragraph is stunning. This author, in a dynamic, sensual and sculpted first novel, manages to tell a page-turning story whose every sentence is beautiful. It's a book that should be read slowly and indulgently so that nothing is missed. The story's subject, among others, is art, and the prose almost reads as a series of tiny paintings, so vivid is the language and so powerful are the images. And in keeping with the tale's Japanese heritage, the prose sometimes reads as a series of haiku, so acute is the attention paid to singular moments and to essential objects and to the symbols that surround us in ordinary life. Especially as a first novel, the MCS overachieves, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

A friend of mine recommended this novel to me. Once I began reading it, I found it hard to put it down. Then, after reading it from cover to cover, after a few days I felt the urge to read it again. This was the first time in my life that I had ever done something like that. Reading "The Mask Carver's Son" the second time was even more rewarding and meaningful for me. The images in the book, as if painted by an artist, are exquisite and the story is told in a true Japanese manner. The emotions of the characters are carefully controlled, remaining under the surface. Yet, the story is a powerful one and one that is based on the real- life experiences of actual artists. Like other reviewers that have reviewed this book, I cannot believe that the author is not Japanese. Even more surprisingly, I found that the author is a young woman. She has written a novel of unbelievable beauty - perhaps better than any Japanese author might have created. I recommend it highly. It deserves six stars.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Kiyoki (the son of a great mask carver) forsakes his family history, duty, and lover for his painting, which he pursues in Paris. There's powerful stuff here about family betrayals and about art consuming one's life. I felt so much promise with the story, and yet it seemed to lack closure at the end of the novel. The family estrangements are (rightfully) unresolved, but I was expecting a different ending. Also, I noticed too many editorial errors which I found distracting.

Melainie is a very funny character. She has a very strong relationship with her friends. She has two friends. They fight. Melanie is very angry. She has to choose between her friends. She chooses Celia. Her other friend is very mad at her. Soon, her other friends sadness turns into revenge. In this world people have to take hard decisions in life. No ones life is perfect. Just believe in what decision you do.

As NYC's number one tour guide, I see I have some real competition with Melanie, she sure knows Manhattan. She shows us our city here in a very intetresting yet fun way. Nice going Carol, all the best!
Malachy Murray

This story is about an 11-year-old girl named Melanie who lives with her brother Matt the Brat. Melanie is going through a lot of problems. I think the book is good for girls 8-14. This book has very good artwork. This book is also a great book because it can teach you some Spanish and art. It also has very good humor. It is a very good book.

It is about a girl that has a long distance love with a guy named Miguel. Also, she has a girl that is stealing her best friend. Her name is Suze. Also they talk a LOT of Spanish. Next, the cover is really cool with a lot of action. Also she lives in the city.

Melanie is an 11-year-old girl who has an adventure in the big city of Manhattan. Her boyfriend Miguel is coming to New York for a week. Oh no! It was very good. However I recommend it for girls 10 and over.

It is about a girl who lives in the city. She has a boyfriend named Miguel. She also has a younger brother, Matt, her Dad and her Mom and an art teacher. I think it is a very good and detailed book. I loved the cover.

I think Melanie in Manhattan is a good book for kids in 4th-6th grade because the book could help through those years. The book is about a girl named Melanie and the problems she struggles with her friends. Her friends are Cecilia and Suze. Her boyfriend is Miguel. Miguel is a Spanish boyfriend she met in Spain. The boyfriend comes to visit all the way from Spain. There is also a lot of Spanish so if you are learning Spanish you should read it. She hates her brother so she calls him Matt the Brat.

A very good and interesting book. Made for middle-schoolers. Very nice and detailed cover. Lots of things going on. Melanie in Manhattan is the last of the series. There are a few before this book, like Melanie goes Dutch and With Love from Spain. I loved the book Melanie in Manhattan. It also was very funny and interesting.

I think Melanie in Manhattan is an OK book because it has inappropriate things. It is good because the illustrations are amazing. Also I like how it tells you about her life, and when she signs her name when she's done writing in her diary.

As Melanie goes through adventures, author Carol Weston makes it realistic and humourous. Although slightly inappropriate, Carol's pictures and Spanish dialogue make up for it. Her writing makes up for it. Her writing makes it seem like a real diary of an 11-year-old who wishes to be more mature.

This is a good book. This has amazing pictures. I love how Carol Weston has some Spanish in there. However it is a little inappropriate for kids 8 and under. 9 and up it should be a good book. It is about an 11-year-old who is trying to get more mature and has a little brother - Matt the Brat - and is sometimes getting in the way of her crush Miguel. Overall this is a great book.

Girl Scout Troop 154

Melanie Martin is beginning 6th grade and has many new challenges placed upon. Melanie has to find ways to deal with these daily life problems. Melanie in Manhattan has been one of my favorite books that had me laughing along.
Melanie in Manhattan is written in a diary format in the opinion of Melanie. She writes daily about her family and friends. Her best friend Cecily has become friends with the new, stuck up girl, Suze. They spend every minute together and rarely include Melanie. She feels like she's losing her best friend. On Melanie's trip to Spain that summer she met her mom's friend's son and she feels something special for him. They had many fun times together in Spain and Melanie is starting to really miss him. They send each other e-mails and keep in touch. Miguel's uncle has to come to New York for a work trip and has offered to take Miguel along to see Melanie. She couldn't believe what she had heard. She would see him once again. Together they tour New York with Melanie's family and see the great sights. Melanie starts to see the beauty of New York. Things start to change and Melanie isn't sure if Miguel considers her as just a friend or a girlfriend. Melanie likes him but she also has a small crush on Jason, a math whiz in her class. Melanie doesn't know how she feels. She has mixed feelings about everything at this point.
Carol Weston shows the fun-loving character's personality and describes the breath taking tourist attractions in the massive city of New York. Weston has put the teenage perspective in Melanie. Melanie talks and acts like an average middle school girl. When Melanie's mom leads her class on a field trip she says, "It's embarrassing having Mom stand in front of everyone like a teacher," (pg. 12.) All teenagers get embarrassed by their parents at some point or another. Like most siblings, Melanie can also be rude to her younger brother. Throughout the book she calls him, "Matt the Brat." During the book Melanie guides Miguel around New York. Melanie finds herself taking advantage of all the attractions New York has to offer like their museums and the skyscrapers. Miguel says, "New York is marvel," because he has never seen anything like it. He appreciates it the "marvel" New York more than her. As they walk through Central Park, Melanie and her family recognize all of the people enjoying the beautiful day. "Central Park is giant. You could walk all day and not get to see all of it...teams of kids were playing sports, a few mothers were jogging with their babies in strollers... we were in a park surrounded by tall buildings," (pg. 149.)If Melanie lived in a small rural town she could never experience this. She wouldn't get to walk outside late at night and see people walking around because like it says, "New York never sleeps." Melanie couldn't see people outside walking in the park because there aren't many people living in the country. Her closest neighbor would be a mile away.
The book, Melanie in Manhattan was a very funny and enjoyable book. Weston showed creativity in her format choice. She wrote the story in a diary and shows Melanie's real thoughts. She used many different fonts and ended each diary entry with an adjective to describe the entry. For example, Melanie ends with "Romantically Melanie," or "Mathematically Mel." This is a must-read book for all young girls.

Great story, love the NYC and art references. I previewed this book before I sent it as a gift and now I will pass it along to all my friends kids. Excited to read more in the series. M in M tackles real tween issues such as changing bodies, first smooch, troubles with friends in a very realistic and honest format. Wish I had Melanie when I was a kid.

An absolutely beautiful novel from cover to cover. Roberge has a way of infusing the most desperate characters with a humor that allows each word to seamlessly bleed into the next. Think of More Than They Could Chew as the literary superior of great recent films like Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang and Smoking Aces.

Buy this novel now!

I heard Mr. Roberge read from this book at the library in Rancho Mirage (a treat unto itself) and I immediately bought this amazingly funny and moving book. It seems to me a next wave cross between Guys and Dolls and Big Deal on Madonna Street with characters named Maggot Arm Joe, Harry Fudge and Willie What's His Name, to name a few. Buy this book immediately! And the next time I see Roberge read, I have the perfect question to ask him. "How much of the enema scene is autobiographical." No. On second thought I don't want to know.

What a great novel! "More Than They Could Chew" offers more than a mouthful of amazing, colorful, hysterical characters in an amazingly vivid, poignant, dark and tragic portrayal of an all-too-real contemporary-noir realm. A delicious pleasure, masterfully written, a real can't-put-down piece of work.

I don't usually read books on crime and I have to say I was addicted to this book. The characters come to life and their wants and needs truly move the plot along rather than the plot moving them. Rob Roberge does an excellent job with his pacing and dialogue. More Than They Could Chew is a true page-turner that makes you want to pick it back up after you've gone to bed to see what's happened to characters with names like Maggot Arm Joe. The writing is raw and aggressive and the story takes you places that as a reader, you would never guess you were going. Most importantly, you'll find out why there's a red gummy bear on the cover. Wow!

Roberge's "More Than They Could Chew" narrator/philosopher, Nick Ray, has lived life, looked it in the eye, drank himself to sleep, and still managed to pick up a few lessons along the way --still, what he wants, even if he does not know exactly what it is, eludes him. Nick-Ray-wisdom, my favorite aspect of this 7-day Christmas-to-New-Year's-Eve tale, is weaved through the novel: "the future of the past is rarely the present" and "Doubt is weakness...To prepare for it is to pave the road and build a parking lot for all the bad news that pulls into your life." Roberge populates this story of blackmailing FBI witness-protected crooks living in Orange County (a.k.a. Reagan Country) with a concoction of memorable, 'other-side-of-the-tracks' characters comprising a disbarred lawyer-addict, a Russian thief and thug, a girlfriend with special multiple-step sexual needs involving gadgets and one gummy bear (instructions are included) and many many more side-kicks. Scenes involving a doctor's one-day cure for a facial tic and a special reenacting of the sinking of the Titanic are hilarious (even if somewhat seemingly sickening) --you'll be treated to several laugh-out-loud dark humor moments. The novel's leading lady, the Southern California coastal city of Long Beach comes alive with all its sights, smells and sounds, both its past and present, in Roberge's storytelling --it is completely absorbing. The story builds to a surprise and poetic ending that I found absolutely perfect --give us more Roberge!