Simmons Books

Today's thriller writers could take a lesson from Jack Schaeffer. Just like the title character, this novel is lean and quick and frightening.

I mostly bought the critical edition for its cover. Having read the extra material, Shane's historical, literary and cinematic context and a nifty talk with the author, I'm glad I did!

The critical edition of Shane contains the novel, which is good, and severl reveiws, which is so-so. The novel is fascinating to read, and it varies significantly from the movie screenplay. The interview statements by the author, Shaefer, and the reviews are of modest value.

There are four or five interesting ideas, such as: westerns like Shane may reflect American foreign policy in the 50's and 60's, the western heroes like Shane are Christ (with six-gun) figures, sort of old testament-new testament hybrids, the author could not write such an innocent story again, because of his cynicism about what the "homesteaders" eventually did to America (his politics are unclear and he seems to blame Babbitt and not the oil barons), the novel first person is an older son looking back at his childhood with Shane instead of the movie's first person protagonist being the young boy, and, the other really good western is The Gunfighter. The obvious oedipal projection, which no reviewer but me has noted, is vivid in the film and only hinted at in the novel.


It is too bad for those of us who have seen the movie first; we can only compare, and can't see the novel's images free of Alan Ladd and Jack Palance. The movie could have been better (maybe with Randloph Scott after intenstive acting lessons, or Palance instead of Ladd) since Shane was written as a super-humanly lethal and fearsome man. But, Ladd gives the right voice to the character, and with the special effects the movie works.

Shane is "pure" western myth. (It was always a myth, there never were any such characters in the west except in 19th century newspapers and tabloids.) There are only white Nothern European Christian men and few wives and kids; no Mexicans, no African-Americans, no Native Americans, no dance hall girls, not even any cripples. But the novel and the movie try to answer the essential question raised in every good western: what price will you will pay for the most expensive of American luxuries: fairness, justice and honor.

If you are fascinated by the film Shane, as I am, the critical edition of the novel is worth taking a look at.

Three reasons this Critical Edition is superior to the usual trade paperback edition. First, there are dozen of good essays written by book and film critics included within the pages. Second, this edition is true to the original, in the sense that it wasn't edited, and was printed in the original layout format. And finally, the artwork on the front book cover is supreme, it's a very good portrait of Shane; a rugged and mysterious man, not one of those cheesy cowboys as presented on the other editions.

Teenagers these days face more challenges than ever before. Vikk Simmons understands and confronts some of these important issues in VIDEO MAGIC.

Kimberly Lange is a junior in High School. She knows she wants to become a cinematographer after graduation, and she's applied for a position as an intern on the annual senior videography club project. She approaches everything in life with single-minded determination and always chooses the fastest means to an end. She remains oblivious to the effect of her own actions on those surrounding her, and harbors a deep jealousy of her older, over-achiever brother, Bobby. In her eyes, they have been locked in competition from the moment she was born.

Greg Winters is the senior in charge of the videography project. He knows the value of preparation and is methodical in his approach to life--the complete opposite to Kimberly, which leads to complications, confrontations, and ultimately, to a friendship that develops into a budding relationship, despite their differences.

Kimberly's best friend, Carol, develops a case of the "green eyed monster" when Kimberly becomes involved not only with Greg and the video project, but also finds a new friend in Marla, once a rival for the internship. Kimberly finds herself in turmoil at every turn as she becomes estranged from Carol, gets into hot water with Greg and Mr. Jeffries, teacher and sponsor of the video club for overstepping her bounds and making rash promises to the Principal, and has to deal with her brother, home for a visit and undermining her confidence at every opportunity.

Kimberly learns lessons throughout this book, controlling her impulsivity and finding fulfillment in becoming part of team. She discovers that winning isn't the ultimate victory she once thought it was, and finding love involves giving as well as receiving.

Simmons shows the pitfalls not only of jealousy but rivalry. The students of this second book in a series about Northrupp High School are struggling to complete projects, prepare for future careers and manage their personal lives. The pressures of modern-day life are clearly reflected in choices made and decisions that could dog these characters long after they leave high school.

Lovers of romance will find satisfaction here, as Kimberly and Greg find more than the video project occupying their thoughts. Their characters evolve with the plot, and as the stakes grow higher, they become people the reader will root for until the last, satisfying page.

I loved this book from beginning to end. The main character was interesting and the plot kept me turning pages. I hope I'll see more from this author soon.

Kimberly Lange, a junior at Northrupp High, desperately wants to be the junior intern on the senior video project. Not only does she love working with the camera, but the head of the video project is Greg Winters, a guy she's crushed on all through high school. Unfortunately, beautiful Marla Monroe seems to have the inside track with Greg, so how will Kimberly stand a chance?

Author Vikk Simmons captures the feeling of teenage angst expertly in this short young adult novel. With the progress of the video project as a baseline, the heroine has many enlightening learning experiences throughout the story, most of them in interpersonal dynamics. Kimberly learns that it's possible for someone to have hidden facets that explains their past behavior, and experiences turmoil in her relationship with her best friend Carol. She faces her jealousy of her older brother and his achievements, and learns that her impulsiveness can get her into a lot of trouble. And she finds out that, by working together, a team can accomplish amazing things.

I was very impressed with the plotting and writing style of this author, who keeps the action moving swiftly, and carefully resolves all plot lines by the end of the novel. The characters were very real to this reader as I remembered my experiences in high school -- so much rests on each event! The speed with which events happen at this age is highlighted by the author in the fast plot that never stops. I think this is a wonderful novel for teens, and I quite enjoyed it. -- Jean, Fallen Angel Reviews (courtesy of Fallen Angel Reviews)

As a product of Cleveland's public school system, I can attest to its dismal state of affairs.

To say that poor, inner-city students in Cleveland were not receiving a quality education would be like saying that Michael Jordan is good at basketball. The school district did not meet any of the 18 performance standards set for it, and only one in ten 9th graders could pass a basic proficiency exam. In 1995, three years after I graduated from high school, a federal judge placed the school district in state receivership.

The Ohio state legislature subsequently enacted the Cleveland Scholarship Program to provide scholarships and tutoring assistance to children residing in the Cleveland City School District. The program allows both private and public schools in adjacent districts to accept scholarship students by lottery, with low-income students receiving priority if the number of applicants supercedes the number of scholarships, while participating schools agree not to discriminate on the basic of race, religion, or ethnic background.

In Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Cleveland's scholarship program, giving a huge victory to poor students longing for a quality education and poor parents who want them to have a chance at a better future. Attorney Clint Bolick and his outstanding legal team helped to make school choice a legal sanctioned reality.

In "Voucher Wars," Bolick recounts his 12-year roller coaster ride to give disadvantaged schoolchildren a chance at a better future. That struggle began with the nation's first school choice program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1990 and culminated with the 2002 Supreme Court decision in Zelman. He shows how the teachers' unions time and again threw up legal challenges to oppose school choice even though most union members enroll their own children in private schools.

Bolick notes that the Ohio federal court injunction against the Cleveland scholarship program that was overturned by the Supreme Court would have snatched 4,000 scholarship students out of quality charter and magnet schools and placed them back into failing public schools before the 1999-2000 school year began. He calls the teachers' union support for the injunction "a strategic miscalculation of titanic significance."

The High Court's ruling was a big thumb to the eye of school choice opponents - most notably the politically powerful National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. They still seem willing to condemn poor - and mostly minority - children to educational cesspools just to maintain their status quo stranglehold on public education.

While Bolick points out there is still much more to be done, this books tells an emotional and uplifting story of a high-stakes battle that he helped to win. It is an excellent read.

Clint Bolick once again proves he's no Barney Dunn. He continues to make strong compelling arguments about why the government run schools are failing us and the best alternitives. Obviously his arguments over the last decade have begun to have an impact with more and more inner city citizens realizing school choice may be the last best hope when it comes to the decaying and useless government run school system. Bolick reminds the reader that the central beneficiary of choice are the hundreds of thousands of negleted students who clamor for a good education but have no choice in the quagmire of modern union run schools.

Voucher Wars: Waging The Legal Battle Over School Choice considers the legal battles over school choice and the underlying issues of failing public schools, examining landmark educational cases and the 12-year struggle to provide families with real choices in educational quality. Bolick began and nurtured the legal battle for school choice for underprivileged children: Voucher Wars outlines the issues.

You Know She's a Princess When ... is a hilarious, light read that jests about pampered relationships for the Princess and her Prince. This would make a fun Valentine's Day Gift.

I'm not sure I know the answer to that question (although page 5 of this book has a very funny one)
but what I do know is that it doesn't cost a lot of money to get lots of laughs from this book. The
perfect gift for any one you know who is either a princess or is aspiring to be one.

You will love this unique and original Princess Book! Full of jokes, quotes, and witty humor, it is bound to make you LAUGH UNTIL YOU CRY! Share it with all the princesses in your life! The book is tailor-made for every daddy's girl, cheerleader, beauty queen, and "petted" girlie-girl. You'll love it!

Great book for the Network Administrator. Layed out like the "for dummies" series, but doesn't say "For Dummies" so you don't have to be embarrassed to have it on your bookshelf at work. It is very simple and easy to read. Each appendix is a Windows 2000 roll-out scenario complete with screen shots of each wizard box. I like this book and I'm sure I'll be referring to it often.

Very focused on administration and management - very easy to read. The chapters on site design and configuration and replication are worth the price of the book. If you're justing starting to learn AD, start with this book. It's clear and orderly.

I own about 100 baking books (ok, maybe 50) and this is my favorite. It has great color photgraphs (just about every recipe has a photo.) I especially like the Island Bar (coconut, nuts, chocolate: what's not to like?) The Utterly Delicious Bars (caramel and brownies) are also good. I highly recommend this book.

This book is absolutely beautiful to look at. The pictures are so pretty that they make you want to bake everything immediately. I made the applesauce bars, and the praline topping was so delicious that even though I am not ordinarily excited by apple desserts, I wanted to eat the whole pan. I took the pan to work instead and people offered to fall on their knees and worship me. I also made the chocolate chip bars, which I found to be unexciting. However, after the great first experience and the great pictures, I look forward to trying more.

This book provides a good, accessible introduction to the study of "public choice" - essentially, the study of government using economic techniques. The book is admirably clear, and if you haven't seen this approach at work before, I heartily recommend this book as an introduction to the field. It helps explain in a simple framework many of the dysfunctions of politics and public policy that might otherwise seem mysterious, or a failure of "political will."

Like many (or most) economists, they assume that behavior in markets its ethically better than behavior in politics. On the one hand, that's a useful corrective for those people who think that politics consists of the noble pursuit of the public interest. On the other hand, this sort of economist unrealistically idealizes the market.

For example, Chapters 5-10 all have the same title - "Political Pursuit of Private Gain" - with different subtitles. Mitchell and Simmons act as if pursuing private goals through the political system is odd or reprehensible. Yet they would applaud people who pursue private goals through the market. It's not at all clear to me that there is an ethical distinction to be made here. Shouldn't the problem of the public and private good in both economics and politics be the real subject of political economy?

As another example, they count as "perverted incentives" the fact that politicians aks "how many people" want something, not "how badly do they want something" (which is what the market does). Is it so obvious that one of these two standards is better than the other?

I'll conclude with a final example. Mitchell and Simmons assume uncritically that defense, law and order are truly public goods. If they had thought more carefully about dictatorships, they would see ways in which law and order can be private goods, paid for by taxpayers. Even if national defense is public (which I doubt), it is produced by contractors that receive private benefits from its production. They might also think about what makes some politicians run for office on law and order or defense platforms.

It's not obvious to me what the answer is, but I think the method here could be helpful when applied in a nonpartisan, nonideological way that recognizes imperfections in both politics and economics. Mitchell and Simmons don't quite achieve that.

The traditional response to apparent failures of the free market is to create new government policies, as well as bureaucracies to implement them. Mitchell and Simmons explain why the usual result is "government failure."

Simply put, transferring an issue from the market to government does not eliminate self-interested behavior. Those who have the most at stake will make the necessary effort to have the most influence. Government policies frequently confer large benefits on a small number of people, while spreading the costs among many. Those many, therefore, each have too little at stake to make large investments in influence. The result is rent-seeking - the economists' term for using government to create markets that are distorted in favor of producers.

The other crucial problem with government policymaking is that decision-makers do not have to compare costs and benefits and make economically wise decisions. In fact bureaucrats have a strong incentive to overstate the magnitude of problems and to avoid seeking real solutions, because doing so allows them to continue to request funding - thus creating job security.

My view is, of course, somewhat biased, because I am Bill Mitchell's student. But knowing him personally, I also know that his intent is not to demonize government employees (who are all acting rationally in response to the distorted incentives they face). Nor is he a right-winger intent on helping businesses oppress consumers and destroy the environment. In fact the best parts of the book, in my opinion, are the chapters showing how the incentive structure in government results in policies that actually hurt consumers and the environment.

Parts of this book are easy to read, but other parts, including the opening chapters, are likely to be difficult for anyone without some background in economics. If the book has one flaw, it is that the authors assume the reader will understand the more technical terms. The book is brief enough that they could have easily included vivid examples to make the meanings clear.

Nevertheless, this book is by far the best available on the problem of government policy failure. Most are either interminably long and academically complex, or shallow and polemical. This book is that rare blend of true intellectual analysis in a readable format.

This is a mystery in the mould of Parker or Crais - not Christie. The dialog is sharp and often very funny and Simmons, an insurance adjuster, not only gets on with the investigation, but gets off as well. There are plenty of interesting, but plausable, characters to keep him busy.

The action is mostly in Seattle, giving LA, Boston and Miami a rest. The plot hangs together and there is enough action to keep the pages turning.

I look forward to the next effort from Mr. Zeigler.

This is one of those books that you really need to enjoy by reading excerpts out loud with a good friend. Hilarious, quirky, sometimes beyond the wildest of imaginations, all begin to describe the characters and little vignettes surrounding the life of lead protagonist Harry Simmons in BLUE (As In Dead).

An old friend of mine, knowing that I like off-beat humor and a good murder mystery (difficult to find under one cover), not to mention insights into Seattle culture (which are sprinkled throughout BLUE like gold nuggets) sent me a copy of this new novel with the words "must read" on an attached Post-it. I took it on a recent trip to British Columbia and began this wonderful read on a two hour ferry crossing through the Gulf Islands. I was really irritated when the boat approached the Duke Point landing and I had to stuff the book into my back pack. (I'm sure the passengers around my wife and me wondered what the heck was so intriguing.)

Written with a big dose of crime noir, just like Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe, BLUE'S primary character Harry Simmons is a wise cracking, half-cynical, half-romantic, first-person narrative detective (actually Harry's an insurance adjustor). And he's very lucky with the ladies, I might add.

With BLUE, Zeigler has masterfully crafted a well researched Seattle based novel. The many fascinating story tangents are supported by the author's high octane and sometimes bizarre imagination. This is perhaps first realized in a scene toward the beginning of the book where a gorgeous young client of Harry's named Ramona meets up with a polygamous Mormon elder named Ezra, who is planning to wed her. Is Ezra ever in for a shocker!

One neat little touch throughout the book is the smattering of "Editor's Notes," which are oddly pertinent to the story, and which only a history buff with an encyclopedic mind for obscure trivia could conjure up. But I guess these "notes" are understandable, given that the author's bio says he is a history teacher (retired). I bet his classroom lectures were filled with digressions that students, in a state of disbelief, went home to google for factualism. Not a bad teaching technique.

Most readers of contemporary murder mysteries know of a worn Seattle based detective (no names) who has, well frankly, gotten a bit old (hint: think J.P., and I don't mean J.P. Patches the Seattle clown). If you liked that old S.P.D. cop, you will love Harry Simmons, who for my money is a definite cut above. I can't wait for the next episode!

I first saw this book when my prof. was helping me with a graphic design issue/assignment. I have since found this to be the first book I go to when trying to figure out great color combinations. When you have something due, its awesome to know that with this book, you can pick one of the combo's shown and know that it's one less thing to worry about between issues of type, placement, alignment, graphics, etc. I have since reccomended this to all my classmates, and its so cheap, even us college students can afford it.

Very simple, straight forward book with plenty of examples and insight on color combinations.

When you are stuck, this may get you out of the jam :)

This book is for anybody interested in cryptography, with some background in classical algebra, or more specifically number theory. It is a collection of papers written by well known individuals in the crytography field, among whom are Diffie, Simmons, and Odlyzko.

The first section of the book, which includes the first five papers, introduces the history of cryptography and addresses isues which are which still persist like asymmetric key cryptography and DES/AES.

The following sections address issues which are are only now coming to public attention. With the emergence of e-commerce worries of privacy, authentication, and non-repudiation strikes fear into the heart of the vulnerable customer. However, these ideas are long in contemplation and have been for almost a decade. These papers acknowledge the difficulties which lie ahead.

As an undergraduate student I liked this book for its mixture of information. The history component is eye opening and interesting, while discussions of the future are at times scary. Although the mathematics in this book were not trivial, with study they can become fascinating. This book is a true learning experience, especially in this day and age.

Unlike most books on cryptology, this one tries to give a broad overview not only of conventional ciphers and cryptanalysis, but also of authentication, protocols, zero-knowledge proofs and other aspects of modern cryptology. It is slightly out of date, having been published in 1993, but not seriously so. The editor, Gus Simmons, is a heavyweight researcher who worked for many years at Sandia Labs on such topics as public key ciphers and their uses and weaknesses, and cryptologic methods for ensuring against cheating in certain types of treaties. He wrote the article on cryptology for the 16th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. All the contributors are also experts in their specialties. The resulting book requires considerable knowledge of math, computer science and cryptology to understand fully, but it is well worth reading for those who can wade through it. The 14 chapters will not all be equally interesting to all readers; to me, for example, Joan Feigenbaum's "Overview of Interactive Proof Systems and Zero-Knowledge", the chapter on "Cryptanalysis: A Survey of Recent Results" by E. F. Brickell and Andrew Odlyzko, and "Protocol Failures in Cryptosystems" by J. H. Moore, are particularly interesting because they gave me a coherent picture of three topics in which I had encountered various results and had fragmentary knowledge. Other readers may have different favorites, but there's something here for almost anyone. My only criticism is that the chapter on "The Data Encryption Standard: Past and Future" by Miles Smid and Dennis Branstad, is disingenuous, and seems to me misleading in some respects. For example, it fails to mention several features of the DES standard itself, and it fails to point out the most serious vulnerability of software implementations of DES (which should be implemented in hardware to be secure, as the standard notes.) The chapter also fuzzes up the role of NSA in dealing with both IBM and NBS. In particular, it doesn't make clear that NSA found a weakness in IBM's original "Lucifer" cipher, and guided IBM in removing the weakness. Nor does it even hint that NBS, which was supposedly the chooser and promulgator of the DES standard, was in no position to exercise independent judgment on the matter; the chief technical consultant to NBS about DES was Arthur J. Levenson, who although nominally retired from NSA at the time, could still be most easily reached in his NSA office at Fort Meade, not at NBS, and not at IBM's Federal Systems Division, where he had nominally gone after "retiring" from NSA. This is not a criticism of DES, which is a remarkably good cipher; it is a grumble that almost 20 years after the events described in this chapter, the authors still felt it necessary to fuzz up the history of the topic, which at least Dennis Branstad was intimately familiar with. Except for this one complaint, I find the entire book admirable.