Ness Books

The good: Ness digests a variety of actual and potential infrastructure problems associated with the disruption of the electricity grid. For the reader who knows little about electric power or terrorism, this will introduce some useful information, such as the circumstances that cause blackouts, and the importance and vulnerability of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.
The bad: The author presents terrorism as a subset of Islam, describing the recent history of terrorist activities affecting the US. He makes no mention of the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City, the FBI's Operation Backfire (an ongoing program aimed at eco-terrorism) nor any other form of terrorism.
The book periodically reads like something recycled from a consulting firm's marketing literature and high level presentations. Other portions of the book seem rushed with respect to grammar and style. Rather than a broad survey, the book dwells on a few aspects of the subject, though without a detailed treatment of anything.
The list price of around $85 is extremely high for such a short book, especially considering the fact that more than a third of it is appendices. If you must buy it, find a used copy.
The ugly: Most of the photos in the book not only do little to support or expand the authors points, but are useless or non-sequitur to the point of being funny. For example, one grainy black and white photo of a man's face is labeled "Computer hacker" (no hacker or incident in particular, just some guy), while another photo of a camera mounted to a wall is tagged "Security camera". Most readers are likely familiar with both without the benefit of pictures.

Larry Ness, PhD discusses at a high-level the scenarios and potential outcomes of attacks that could be committed by terrorists or malicious individuals against our nation's energy/utility infrastructures. Many of the scenarios and vulnerabilities mentioned in the book are examples I had already heard on the news or read in the newspaper. I enjoyed reading chapter 7 regarding cyber-security and security technology. The book is 340 pages long, but the last 150 pages are appendices.

Someone has tried and failed to imitate the earlier books in this series. Although the characters are similar, they have been redrawn and renamed and instead of occupying the surreal dreamspace of Fool's Gold and earlier, they now live humdrum suburban lives of boredom and violence. Sound familiar. These books used to be filled with suspense because you never knew when a nonchalantly spoken phrase or pun or even a gesture might cause the plot to veer in a new direction and propel the characters into completely unforeseen situations and conflicts. There was a compelling element of loss as well, the real kind of loss that kids are so much closer to than adults. Willy and Wanda and Lambick were slapstick geniuses who knew how the material world and the dream world overlapped, and they relished having to suffer the consequences of this knowledge. Not so in Loch Ness Mystery. In fact, here we have a Scooby Doo redux where the adult fantasy world, in this case scientists, completely overwhelms and ruins the real world of the children. There is not even a vestige of hope left in these later books.

It was fun to read a comic in english that I used to read in another language. Some of the jokes got lost in translation but overal it was an enjoyable read. The title translation doesn't really work for it. The original name: Suske & Wiske still works better than Spike & Suzy. Anyone who likes Asterix & Obelix would like this as well.

'The Real Truth About Alien Abductions' is a fascinating book. Andre Ness' objectivity reinforces the veracity of his thesis that humans continue to be abducted by aliens. The evidence is overwhelming. Central to the book's validity is the account detailed on pages 46 to 68. Ness describes the experience of Harry Balzac, a men's room cleaner from Battle Mountain in Nevada. This brief extract, in Balzac's own words, epitomizes the undeniable truth of the phenomenon:

'It was around 11 on a clear, star-filled night and I had just left the gas station. Without warning, I was lifted into the sky on a beam of purple light and then found myself stretched out on a floating table inside some sort of operating room. All I could hear was the slow hum of the space craft's engine and my own heartbeat. Suddenly, a creature appeared. It was about 9'6" with the body of an octopus, the face of a goat and the smile of a real estate agent about to close a deal.
"I am Gorgon from the planet Zola," he said, "but all my friends on the Interplanetary Bowling Team call me Barry. I have done an anal probe and a dental probe, Earthling, and there is good and bad news."
"What's the good news?" I asked, trembling.
"You're in excellent health."
"So what's the bad news?"
"I used the same probe. I am now going to remove all recollection of your abduction by using this gravitomagnetic, superconductive, quantum interference ray gun. Dang! The battery's dead! Oh well, just don't tell anyone, ok?"
The next thing I remember was waking up in a Battle Mountain motel room that was crawling with cockroaches and littered with empty beer bottles and half-eaten pizzas. But at least I was home with my brain still in one piece. And the jar it was in even had a lid.'

Read Andre Ness' book and you'll rid yourself of doubt.

And meeting Mr. Ness was an awful experience. I realize the author is serious about what he's written and that makes is so much worse and more terrifying. The writing and editing are chaotic and the illustrations are funny in a scary way, mostly scary. Little bits of rehashed government/alien-abduction conspiracy, including anal probing, but with a new twist: Aliens are helping in the "War on Drugs."

I DID NOT PAY FOR THIS BOOK! I met the author in a bar. He is, in my opinion, a mess. Shouting and spitting. After Mr. Vess drunkenly raved to my fiends and I about "the truth" and his book, the bartender forced a copy on us. Another patron had given the copy to the bartender and he couldn't wait to get rid of it.

In all, it made me kind of sad.

The Real Truth About Alien Abductions is simply the most ridiculous book ever printed. I met Mr. Ness in a local libation establishment, and needless to say it is an experience I will never forget. He drew a picture for me and my comrades of an alien that had perpetrated him. He explained that the alien fed off of his aura and what a feast it must have been! I digress, this book personifies the author. Simply, it is crazy. His idea of government involvement with the aliens in a drug scandal is simply ridiculous and based on nothing but heresay. Also, the book appears to have been edited by a blind third grader.
Thank you Mr. Ness, we are all less intelligent for having read your book and having met you in person.

This book is one mans spin on unexplainable events in his life.There is fact and conjecture.It is interesting on several levels.Something is going on and he tries to explain and understand.The book suffers from poor editing,but holds the readers interest nonetheless.It attempts to dissect the fringes of our modern reality.Mr Ness' anger and frustration with the 'Aliens" intrusion into his life is front and center in his thoughts.I found "The Real Truth About Alien Abduction"by Andre Ness to be a thought-provoking and entertaining read.

I read a lot of books dealing with fringe science, and I've seen some truly jaw-dropping stuff, both good and bad; this is one of the latter. There has been a lot of incredible silliness written about alien abductions, but this one takes the cake. Hell, it takes the whole bakery. The back cover states, "This book tells of how the government and an alien race are working together to win a war against drugs." Well, gee, the aliens can't be doing too much good, can they? Just watch the evening news.

There are numerous drawings which, even though they are only on the level of a fairly talented high-schooler, are probably the best thing about the book, as the text is written by someone who is barely literate. I confess I didn't actually read the whole book, but just sections here and there, much of which seems to deal with a government/alien conspiracy against the author and the author's ability to see invisible things no one else can see.

Some of the drawings are unintentionally(?) hilarious, such as the one on page 70, which shows the author being subjected to some kind of rectal oscilloscope by a Gray.

This book is good for a few sick laughs, nothing more.

This book has become something of a 'collectors item' in recent years, albeit, in my opinion, not through its content matter. Holiday cleverly produces anecdotal evidence to support his 'giant slug' or 'paranormal' theories, but, in many instances, research into some of this evidence produces no such incidents to support his case. Holiday was very much part of the 1960's campaign to find any 'hitherto unknown creature' which may lurk in Loch Ness, however, this work seems to lose the plot midway through its pages, and has, in truth, created greater ambiguities in recent years through its lack and inaccurate sources of reference. As a reading volume, not recommended, as an alternative theory, recommended.

Overall I find this book to be not worth the $. The book is small and pocket size with mostly already known information. The information is good for a beginner. It is a good book, but not worth the $.

I've heard better jokes at work, however, there are SOME decently funny jokes in here - not many. I have to agree with the other review, maybe about 5% of them are funny, the rest are pretty lame.

I'd say maybe 5% of the jokes in this book are actually funny. Most are exceedingly lame, old, and low-brow. I guess you shouldn't expect much from a book authored by "Mike Oxbent" and "Harry P. Ness," but I didn't really start out with very high expectations. I figured it would be hit-or-miss, but I had no idea how much "miss" would triumph over "hit."

This is a worst book I have ever read. It is clear that the book has been through any proof reading process. The language use is informal and the book has lots of typo errors and grammatical errors. The table of contents doesn't align with the topics in each chapter. Bad, bad book. I will return the book and ask the refund.

This is a worst book I have ever read. It is clear that the book has been through any proof reading process. The language use is informal and the book has lots of typo errors and grammatical errors. The table of contents doesn't align with the topics in each chapter. Bad, bad book. I will return the book and ask the refund.

This is a worst book I have ever read. It is clear that the book has been through any proof reading process. The language use is informal and the book has lots of typo errors and grammatical errors. The table of contents doesn't align with the topics in each chapter. Bad, bad book. I will return the book and ask the refund.

As a book of any relevance or knowledgeable value to the case evidence of the Loch Ness enigma this volume is virtually worthless. Factually inaccurate in many areas it provide no new information or data and simply retraces old ground. Recommended if you are a collector and simply want to own the volume, but not recommended if it is accurate information you require.

I find myself the subject of a portion of this book. Some statements are opinions, but some of the statements are actually errors. I would like to respond.
1. When I bought the property in October 2001 I continued (but did not initiate) the opt out of the single contract with HUD. The previous owners had begun the process, but had not informed the tenants. I met with the tenants immediately and explained the opt out process, and their rights to have Enhanced Vouchers, giving them special rights to STAY at the property.
2. One basic and essential right of Enhanced Vouchers is that the tenant will NEVER pay more than 30% of their income, no matter what the contract rent. The contract rent had no bearing on what my tenants would pay.
3. Anyone who was evicted for non-payment was opting not to pay the normal family portion of 30% of income. Less than 5 tenants were evicted. Some tenants left to take advantage of the Enhanced Voucher to relocate outside of central New Haven, to be in a less urban environment, or to be closer to their now grown-up children.
4. Since 2001 I have continued to operate the building adhering to my goal of having a mixture of different kinds of tenants, from many different races and nationalities, and I have kept my promise to retain the original tenants, many of whom are "overhoused," that is, living in a multi-bedroom unit as a single person (their family having grown up and moved away). Since HUD offers a subsidy for ONLY ONE YEAR after it is aware of overhousing, I took on subsidizing the difference for these tenants by accepting a ONE bedroom contract rent for the TWO and THREE bedroom apartments the tenants were inhabiting. Ovella Watts is still a tenant in the same apartment she has occupied all these years, even though she technically would have had to move if I had not stepped in and accepted the lower rent.
5. Although it is difficult to make improvements to occupied apartments, I have offered to each of my long-term tenants to choose an improvement they want (which is in addition to appropriate maintenance). One section 8 tenant recently asked for a hardwood floor to be installed in her living room, which we did.
6. I have an excellent relationship with all my tenants at 65 Dwight Street, especially my section 8 tenants whom I have now known for over 6 years.
7. I WAS NEVER CONTACTED BY THE AUTHORS OF THIS BOOK, even though my office is two blocks from the property, and I would certainly have been willing to give them detailed information on any question they might have asked.