Travis Books

This book offers good tips for any restaurant owner, especially an absent one. The amount stolen from a business, whether it's goods or time, grows exponentially to the number of hours an owner is absent. This book doesn't cover every way to prevent losses, but most of the sneaky ways profits can disappear.

I had been led to believe that this book also included comments about what happens when customers complain about their food. However, it was all about the little scams the wait staff pull to make extra money, usually at the expense of the restaurant. Not having worked in a restaurant, I didn't understand a lot of the scams.

A must read for every restaurant manager/owner and even for restaurant customers. After reading the various ways that servers can line their pockets above and beyond tips, it makes you a much more aware and less likey to get taken. The lengths they would go to pull a scam and their outright audacity were almost amusing, as long as you're not the one getting ripped off.

This book is revolutionary. Eye opening insight to the world of restaurants and the staff that "run" them. It truly is one of the best books that I have ever read, and hysterical. If you have ever worked in the industry, it is a MUST READ!!!

This book provided the information I needed to run an efficient food establishment. It also gave me the secrets on what to look out for in the latest restaurant and bar scams. Great authors. A must read.

It could possibly be my personal intelligence level, but this was a very difficult book for me to understand. It was required for my Electronics I class, so I didn't have much of a choice. Luckily I saved some money on this book by buying it used on here, so that made me feel a bit better about me not understanding the book. Not one I would personally recommend, but if you don't have a choice, go for it.

If you really want to learn the structure and principles of function of the different types of electronic components, this is the perfect book for you.
The theory is too easy to understand and it has a lot of exercises and problems with different dificulty levels.
You can use this textbook in different courses, like: Analog Circuits, Electronic Circuit Design,and electronic physics.

This is the best book I have ever seen for electronics/mircroelec. It provides you a full coverage and in depth explanation, buy this book if you want really learn this stuffs.

I'm an EE student who has taken the first course using the Sedra/Smith book but because of a delay in taking the second course, will be using the Jaeger/Blalock text. I'm reviewing the material from the first course as it is laid out in the Jaegaer/Blalock book and find the same material more understandable with more relevant detail.

These reviews certainly demonstrate that everyone has a different point of view. I thought Jaeger's organization was excellent. Jaeger leads you through the material in a user friendly, step by step manner. He provides what I think is the best explanation of pn junction physics. Jaeger takes the space needed to explain fully. Compared to Jaeger,Sedra and Smith race through the material providing few intermediate examples. I think Jaeger TEACHES and Sedra and Smith seem to be summarizing for the benefit of someone who has learned elsewhere.

While I still find "Flash of Green" to be my favorite MacDonald book, there's something so appealing about the Travis McGee series that keeps me coming back to them. And "Pale Gray for Guilt" has such an engaging opening sequence of events, and such an array of fascinating characters, that you cannot put this mystery down. I just hope that MacDonald continues to gain in popularity, as I feel he is horribly overlooked.

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree with the other reviewers. I found this book to be shockingly bad. While other McGee books sparkle with Travis' commentaries on social trends and peripheral characters, and possess intricate plots, this book was a straightforward revenge story, with McGee and his sidekick Meyer confidently and flawlessly triumphing over the evildoers. There is no suspense, and the book is written in a rather haughty style, glorifying the abilities and righteousness of McGee. I was nauseated by the final third, just trying to finish it up, shaking my head at the lack of suspense and the wooden tone. I think one has to have a simplistic devotion to the series and/or character to see this installment as among the best of the series, because it comes off as sort of a love letter from MacDonald to McGee. Try "Long Lavender Look" for a McGee with all this series has to offer, and don't read this one until you're thoroughly immersed in the series.

...and whatever you do, read this one before reading "The Lonely Silver Rain". "Pale Gray" is vintage McGee, and a very fascinating exploration of the Big Con. There must be something more entertaining than these books, but I can't imagine what it would be.

Tush Bannon, friend of Travis, a good and gentle man is killed horrifically by an anvil crushing his face and chest. First declared suicide-admittedly a peculiar way to do the deed--- later changed to murder. Tush owned a small marina whose acreage was a valuable parcel to the big bad business interests, and he was being squeezed out. He left a shocked and bereft wife and three young sons. Gallant Knight Travis rides to the rescue.

"Pale Gray for Guilt" was the 8th novel in the Travis McGee series, and I judge it as medium-good McGee. Published in 1968, it has an excellent contemporary flavor about it that captures the late `60s very well. The major flaw in the novel is the extraordinarily complicated sting set up by Meyer and Travis as revenge for Tush's demise. The big businessmen are set up to take a financial bath, and there are pages and pages devoted to capital gains, covering margins, selling short, etc. This has the effect of confining John Wayne to Wall St., not a happy or even very interesting state of affairs. However, Travis does get to expound, and wow his usual lusty women. (this one named Puss Killian-would such a name even be allowed today?) MacDonald allows Travis his special brand of sentimentality, "-went into the master bedroom and slipped out of the robe and into the giant bed and wished I wasn't too old to cry myself to sleep." No other tough private eye would ever be permited to think that way in print.

By the time this book was written, MacDonald had found his groove, though it was too bad he had to foist his interest in the stock market on Travis who, as we all well know, cares nothing about such things. It never happened again.

John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series was one of the first truly successful "hard boiled detective" genre series to make it big at the mass market level of sales. Written mostly in the 1960's and early 1970's the books could come across as somewhat dated time period pieces except that MacDonald was a suspense writer of the highest order whose gritty, hard edged characters come to life on the page just as readily today as they did back when written.

In point of fact, these really aren't "detective" books at all; they are generally better classified as suspense novels. However, the formula utilized in the books, as well as the realistic, hard hitting writing style they displayed, set the stage for many a fictional detective series to follow.

McGee advertises himself as a "salvage" specialist. He's more a high-end repo man. If you've lost something of extraordinary value that you do not want the police involved in recovering, he'll do it for you-for 50% of the fair market value of the lost valuables. Once he's made a big score he reverts to being a beach Bum in ft. Lauderdale Florida where he lives on the beach in a houseboat won in a card game.

The Travis McGee novels break down basically into two types of story either (A) a "recovery" tale and (B) a revenge tale. The former is the far more common format.

Pale Gray for Guilt is one of the latter. Tush Bannon, one of Travis' old high school buddies, is killed by developers who want his land for a project, Travis swears revenge. Along with his sidekick, Dr. Meyer, a nationally known economist and fellow beach bum, McGee sets in motion a complicated and dangerous scam to entrap and bankrupt the killers.

On the whole I like the recovery novels better than the revenge novels, but this is one of the better of the latter sort. The plan is ingenious, the characters, as usual, well developed and the con victim so loathsome one is fully engaged in the effort to get the SOB.

This is probably not the best book to start out with McGee but, once hooked, this will make a very pleasant read.

A final note: MavDonald wrote many novels other than the McGee series-however, all McGee novels have a color in the title. If you're browsing for McGee, just select any novel with a color in the title, and there Travis will be.

A Deadly Shade of Gold is the 5th book in John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series. In number 5, the gold in question is actually 28 ancient gold idols. An old friend from McGee's murky past gives McGee a call asking for help. Sam Taggart has disappeared for three years, and has been in some trouble. Taggart also has in his possession 28 gold idols from various ancient civilizations including Incan and Aztec cultures. But before McGee can render any assistance, Taggart is brutally murdered and all but one of the idols goes missing.

McGee goes on a quest to discover not only who killed his friend, but also to unearth the mystery of Taggart's 3 missing years. He also looks for the stolen idols. He gets assistance from Taggart's former fiancée, Nora, and this case takes him from Florida to Mexico and then to Los Angeles.

While I really enjoyed MacDonald's first four books, I found A Deadly Shade of Gold harder to read. This novel is double the length of his first four books and I wonder if MacDonald was experiencing some growing pains in trying to expand on this series. I found the plot extremely cumbersome in spots. It definitely lost momentum about two thirds of the way through. Also, it was hard to keep track of the many characters, and I found the Cuban connection a little confusing. Still, I would not discount MacDonald and will continue to read the rest of this series (21 books in all). His mastery of observation is nothing short of brilliant.

A Deadly Shade of Gold was my first John MacDonald novel. It was written in the mid - 1960's, and read like it. The dialogue, metaphors and characters were terribly dated - think Sam Spade meets Jimmy Buffet in 1965 Ft Lauderdale and you've got the picture: the chauvinism, the Hemingwayesque machismo, the budding "youth culture" and of course the tropical south Florida sunshine. With that said, however, the book was a remarkably entertaining read. The plot twists kept me rivited to the story line (in spite of the by-now cliched characters). The occasional diatibes against the development of south Florida and the damage to the eco-system also made for entertaining asides - as well as a haunting foreshadowing of what was to come. But I think this will be my last John MacDonald novel. For my money, Randy Wayne White's south Florida sleuth "Doc Ford" is better. If you enjoy John MacDonald, you are sure to love Randy Wayne White.

It's curious to read some of the other opinions written about this incredible yarn. Obviously most other reviewers enjoy MacDonald and the McGee series. But the concerns posited by others represent some of the nuance and fabric of MacDonald's genius which yield his works of fiction, and the McGee series in particular, for what they are: GREAT LITERATURE. I believe MacDonald is the best novelist of the twentieth century.

The Deep Blue Goodbye, the first of the series, is typical of the first efforts of genius. The next books leading up to Gold are shorter stories with less convoluted, though quite satisfying story lines. Gold is my favorite (along with The Green Ripper for totally different reasons) because of its detailed and deeply diverse story line.

As in the entire McGee series Trav is narrating the adventure from his first person perspective with wit, self-certain insight and all-knowing and sometimes humble introspection. Yet overlaying his views is his basic flaw; the 60's existential man's man. Travis believes in himself, his abilities and the basic correctness of his philosophy for living. He lives and dies by them and they serve him well personally, though the dying always rubs off on those around him.

In one book he states he is 'wary of all earnestness'. That is a theme of his early and mid years. Later in the series he becomes more open to examinng his shortcomings, his mortality and wonders about his own self-serving motives in a way that suggests change is ultimately on the way, if he lives that long. His buddy Meyer is instrumental in moving Trav toward a more realistic and longer view of living and reality. The story of Travis ends aptly in the Lonely Silver Rain with real change unavoidable and much life still looming ahead. Of course at this point we lost the genius that was MacDonald in his early death, and left the real McGee fans to speculate about Travis' future.

But Gold is the story where Travis peaks in his physical strength and intellectual ingenuity. He is bullet proof and invisible when necessary. He is the great savior of shattered women, and deftly justifies himself in that role (as he does throghout the series, and is never adequately called on that self-delusion except by Jean in Silver Rain). In Gold the woman in need of saving is Nora. Of course like all the true "keepers", (which are legion in Travis' life), her lifespan is shortened tragically though Travis justifies his inocence in her fluke death.

As usual Travis makes his recovery of the treasure in an incomplete way at a cost that leaves him pondering the worth of the project. But also as usual his lack of insight into things other than the tangibilities of having life his own way cause depression and regret but no sense of repentance, loving more the dance to the drum-beat of his personal demon's rhythm. His belief only in the here and now and his professed agnosticisms help him justify the real mess his lifestyle and actions inflict upon him and his numerous true loves one book at a time. The result is periodic self-medication for his bouts with depression in alcohol overuse and intentional whoredoggery; the ying and yang of his beach bum life choice.

One of the fascinating aspects of Gold and the early books is the dialog in the vernacular of the era of the early 60s. MacDonald did us a great service in preserving the way people really talked in those days. Just as Shakespeare wrote in the language of his time, so did MacDonald. This is a strength of the series, seeing the changing American zeitgeist as Trav adventures through the early 60s to mid 80s.

One last interesting point of Gold (and there are many more; a lengthy dissertation could be written on the joys and convolutions of this brilliant novel) is the perspective we get of Travis' flawed yet upflappable morality. In the prologue chapters of Gold we learn that Sam and Nora were the real deal; for Travis a picture of what a life-mate connection should be. Trav's honey at the time was one Nikki, with whom he tried to immitate the passion and potential permanence that he saw in Sam and Nora's relationship. Later in Mexico Trav finds that he is heading the same way with Nora, and indeed she was a keeper. But Travis' fatal flaw (always fatal to the keepers) rears it's ugly head. Of course to Travis it is just the on-going poker game of life, playing the hands he is dealt and sometimes overbetting a hand he should have folded. But to Trav life just never stops being poker. And as in all games of chance, eventually the good run runs out.

Read this book. I do about once a year. I never tire of the brilliant mystery, the heart-racing action, the incredible characters, the just-like-you-are-there sense of place. Gold is the perfect vacation read at the beach or the book to study and understand the philosophy that lead us to the culture clash we see even today in 2004.

McDonald was a master & McGee was his masterpiece.

I was cleaning out some bookshelves not long ago and came across this book. It's been years since I'd read a Travis McGee novel so I decided to reread this one. That proved to be one of the best decisions I've made so far this year reading-wise.

Back in the 1960's John D. MacDonald wrote 21 Travis McGee books (along with a large number of stand alone books as well). They were among the most successful thriller/suspense books of the times and remain, in my opinion, one of the very best thriller suspense series of all time.

MacDonald utilized a very Hemingway-esque writing style-terse, to the point, very abrasive and macho. His characters were first rate across the board, whether they be a series regular or a bit player. Even inanimate objects came to e serious characters, as in Travis' car and houseboat. Also the series is easily distinguishable as all McGee novels titles use the name of a color in the title.

The books are dated in the sense that they use language and mannerisms common to the time. This is an observation, not a criticism. They are authentic to their time in every way and therefore are, essentially, timeless.

A Deadly Shade of Gold is a pretty standard McGee thriller. The story involves McGee's dual purpose of finding and avenging the killer's of an old friend who suddenly reappears in South Florida asking McGee for help while trying to recover a hoard of pre-Columbian gold figurines his friend says were stolen from him. The action moves from Florida to Mexico to LA and involves the usual MacDonald elements-exotic locales, unique, dangerous characters, unleavened greed, lots of action, romance and lots of explicit violence.

If you're tired of the run-of-the-mill, politically correct factory produced mysteries that seem to proliferate these days and want an authentic suspense/thriller experience, give Travis McGee a try-you won't be disappointed.

"A Deadly Shade of Gold," the 5th in the Travis McGee series is bawdy and brutal; a bloody chase novel taking McGee from Florida to Mexico to LA. MacDonald has a wondrous sense of place and you can feel the sensuous breezes and see the spectacular sunsets he creates for you. There are a few creaky spots: Nora, Travis's love interest, is so `50's lady-like, you expect her to be white gloved and hatted even in the shower; -- all characters are super sun worshippers while the reader uneasily thinks about skin cancer. Be that as it may, it's a fine rousing tale with careful characterizations and Travis's philosophies served up painlessly.

Old buddy Sam Taggart, a three-year missing person, contacts Travis in dire need of his services as a salvage consultant. The deal sounds shady at best as Sam claims he is the rightful owner of 28 crude golden idols dating from pre-Colombian times. The hitch is 27 of the 28 have been stolen from him, and he wants them back. Sam is down on his luck and appears to be on the run. When he took off three years ago without a word, he left the beauteous Nora high and dry. Now he is back to redeem himself. Before Trav can get Sam and Nora together, or even decide whether he wants to accept Sam's offer, Sam is brutally murdered. Nora hires Trav to find the killer, but insists on accompanying him (natch) when the trail leads to Mexico. The action is fierce, retribution is swift and oh-so-well-described, and Trav and Nora find something more in common than Sam.

"A Deadly Shade of Gold" at 434 pages is long for a Travis McGee novel, but moves swiftly. MacDonald takes great care in setting up his locales, which makes for lovely reading. Though Sam exits early, he is with us throughout the book, and gradually an entirely different Sam emerges posthumously. This is handled cleverly by friend's ruminations, and we are allowed to derive our own conclusions. Travis is not yet fully formed; he's still pretty rough around the edges, but this novel sets the course for the future.

My children and I were reading this as a supplement to our Homeschool curriculum. My children (and I) were spellbound by this book as we only read a chapter a day, we were in suspense everytime we had to stop. It gave a great perspective of what might have gone through a Hebrew girls mind as all the events chronologed in Exodus unfolded. I highly recommend reading this book!

I am eight years old and I love this book! I knew the story of the Isrealites before reading this book, but I loved how the story helped me understand it better. My favorite character is Tirzah. She and Merrie (another character) are very loyal and helpful. I think it is important to understand how God works in people's lives. I really think its a good book, and I recommend it to other 3rd graders. I know you'll enjoy this story!

I read this book with my children when we were studying the Exodus, and we barely got through the book. I was very disappointed with Tirzah.

The characters and story line could have been developed well, but they really weren't. For example, an Egyptian girl who accompanies the multitude out of Egypt becomes, during the journey, a believer in God. Her experience could have been developed in the story, but it wasn't. There seemed to be no main theme to this story at all. It dabbled in the planning-to-leave-Egypt stage and followed through some of the main events of the wilderness experiences, but that wasn't really developed into the theme of the story. It dabbled in romance and match-making, but that wasn't developed into the theme of the story. It dabbled in religious belief, but that wasn't developed into the theme of the story. It was like a narration of events without any main theme ever being developed.

Also, the author took some liberties with the time frame, which would have been o.k. since this is fiction, but there were places in the book where the author seemed to forget her own sequence of events and didn't place things (like the length of a pregnancy/birth of a baby) at reasonable times in relation to her own established time frame.

I won't buy another book by this author.

Tirzah is a fictional young girl, an Israelite in Egyptian bondage. We follow her out of the hated Egypt, and see what the trek through the wilderness might have been to a young girl. She witnessed the plagues of Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea, feared during the creation and rebellion of the golden calf and the giving of the law, and wondered what would happen when there was nothing to drink. She gathered manna, worried over the sickness from the many quail, and speculated - like a typical teen - about who the matchmakers would think to put together. Tirzah's relations are involved in the common rebellions, and she hears their reasonings and justifications for their positions. The theme of racial prejudice is brought up concerning another young girl, an Egyptian maiden who turned to Yahweh and journeyed with the children of Israel. The final scenes of the book occur when the twelve spies have returned from Canaan. Because of the Israelites' unbelief in Yahweh, they are cursed to wander 40 years in the wilderness until those who did not believe were dead. Tirzah struggles with fear and rebellion throughout the book, but by the end she comes to understand a little of the ways of Yahweh, and learns to hope in Him.

Obviously written to appeal to teens, I thought the characters could have displayed a little more maturity. Other than that, Travis has an easy reading style. This won't be anyone's favorite book of the year, but you might check it out for a perspective on what it might have been like for the Israelite children. It's interesting to read about the places and events in Exodus in a work of fiction, and many details from the Scriptures are woven throughout it.

As part of our homeschool curriculum to supplement the book of Exodus, my children listened spellbound to this tale. It was excellent historical fiction for youth. The purpose of historical fiction is to bring the reader into the past, to let them feel that they lived it. This author did this very well. We walked in the heat and the sand, we thirsted, we repeatedly heard the whiners and complainers, and we felt awe at the power and mercy of God.
No theme development? I guess it was as well-developed as in the book of Exodus itself.
The touch of romantic interest was well-done, with several scenarios. Goodness knows there's enough of that in so many teen books, but I thought it was handled quite realistically. It's always there, but is not the major focus of life.
Character development? No, it isn't too strong a feature of this book, but it's there. Ram obviously showed character development as he found faith in the Lord. Tirzah developed as she chose her friends, rather than the cousins she grew up with. And there was even a negative sort of character development for her mother, which, unfortunately, is too often true. I'm a little confused by the idea that the characters should have shown more maturity. Isn't that what we think every time we read the books of Exodus-Numbers? Why can't these people grow up?
The theme of racial prejudice, based on one Biblical incident, is more fully developed in this book than in the Bible.
And over-all are the themes of faith and trust in Yaweh (Jehovah) and trusting and following his prophet.
This is a great book to get a feel of this historical time period, as well as to assess our own commitment to faith, trust, and obedience toward God and his prophet.

Few works by John Webster have survived, but two - The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil - have been staged frequently in recent decades. Many readers may remember the young John Webster as a darkly comic figure in that delightful 1998 romantic comedy, Shakespeare in Love. In expressing his admiration to Shakespeare for his gruesome play, Titus Andronicus, the boy observes: "I like it when they cut heads off. And when the daughter was mutilated with knives". I laughed with those around me, as I had some inkling of John Webster's dark reputation, but I had not actually read, nor seen a performance of his plays.

Despite Webster's dark and dismal view of human nature, I found The White Devil to be considerably less gruesome than Titus Andronicus and definitely less shocking. There are some poisonings, stabbings, and stranglings, especially in the final act, but what makes Webster's play truly memorable is the continuous intrigue, deceit, and betrayals.

The White Devil has elements of a revenge play, but the motivations of the characters are more varied and complex. In her introduction to the New Mermaids edition, Christina Luckyj illustrates how Webster adapted to the stage an actual murderous event that occurred in Italy some years earlier. Paolo Giordano, Duke of Brachiano, and the beautiful Vittoria Corombona, as well as others in this play are not entirely fictional.

The second act presents the initial murders, the poisoning of Isabella, wife to Brachiano, and the killing of Camillo, husband to Vittoria, in two dumb shows representing conjurer's images of the actual murders. These silent displays are said to have a somewhat haunting impact on the stage.

Despite no evidence of involvement in Camillo's death, Vittoria is placed on trial for her adulterous affair, is found guilty, and confined to a house of convertites, a house of penitent whores. The murder of Camillo and Isabella goes unpunished, although some do suspect the Duke of Brachiano.

Brachiano's chief rival, Francisco De Medici, the Duke of Florence, quietly plots to have Brachiano and his followers killed. He cleverly tricks Brachiano into effecting the escape of Vittoria. The two are quickly married in a lavish ceremony. Soon thereafter Brachiano and Vittoria are excommunicated by the new Pope, the former Cardinal Monticelso, another long time rival of the Brachiano.

Plots and counterplots collide in act five resulting in the deaths of nearly all key characters. Most die loquaciously, expositing on their guilt and thoughts of divine punishment.

The White Devil does not offer the dramatic impact of a Shakespearean tragedy, nor the tight focus characteristic of most Elizabethan revenge plays. This play's fascination is the continuous intrigue and deception, the plots and counterplots, and the complex motivations of Webster's dark characters. Four stars to The White Devil.

For those of you who saw "Shakespeare In Love," you will probably remember John Webster as the 13 year old boy who was obsessed with blood and death. John Webster's plays came out about the time William Shakespeare was putting out his final plays. Hazelton Spencer says this of John Webster: "Even Webster's most lyrical verse is preoccupied with decay and death." But if we are willing to move past this, John Webster's writing is actually quite impressive. Act 1 begins with the banishment of Count Lodovico. Interestingly, Lodovico tells of the evil Bracciano. (Why not? It would seem people of an evil nature would know each other.) And through the testimony of his judges, we are introduced to the evil behind Lodovico. We later meet the diabolical Bracciano himself. He is having an affair with his friend Flamineo's sister Vittoria. Not surprisingly, Vittoria has a nightmare about a massacre. We later see that Cornelia (the mother of Vittoria and Flamineo) does not care for them. In Act 2, we meet the Cardinal. We are allowed to respect him in that he is no flatterer. Webster then shows us the division between the diabolical Bracciano and the at least moderately virtuous Francisco. (Francisco is of course angered that his sister Isabella is being mistreated by her husband Bracciano.) But Bracciano's untainted son Giovanni breaks the tension with some comic relief. With the use of magical images, Bracciano sees his murder plot against his wife Isabella and Vittoria's husband Camillo come to pass. But Lodovico sees the death of Isabella, and he will return before long. Onto Act 3. The Cardinal suspects that Vittoria had something to do with her husband's death. We know that it was not Vittoria's fault, but how sorry can we feel for her? If she was this intimate with the diabolical Bracciano, how ignorant could she have been (unless she was very obtuse) to the evil she submitted herself to? The Cardinal sentences Vittoria to life as a nun. During the trial, Flamineo is frightened that his part in aiding the affair will come out. And Lodovico makes his return. He loved Isabella (even though she would not submit to having an affair with him), and Lodovico will avenge her. (Perhaps Webster was trying to use contrast between Isabella and Vittoria to limit our sympathy to Vittoria.) Onto Act 4. The Cardinal informs Francisco of his sister's murder. Francisco of course wants revenge. While we have no real reason to dislike the Cardinal or see him as a bad person, it is interesting that the Cardinal has a book of criminals. Can we doubt for a moment that Lodovico is listed in it? (But like Shakespeare and Dickens, Webster is really skilled at creating fully 3d characters as opposed to Hollywood heroes and villains.) Isabella's ghost appears to Francisco. (Probably to make sure Francisco will not hesitate in his revenge.) Bracciano and Vittoria meet again, and while Vittoria is reluctant, she and Bracciano marry. Act 4 ends with the Cardinal becoming Pope. After rebuking Lodovico, the Cardinal approves of him joining in Fracisco's revenge. Perhaps here, Webster is pointing out a 'terrible truth' that Hollywood can't figure out. As people, we are not 100 % good or evil. And while the cardinal is a virtuous person, he agrees to the revenge on Bracciano even to the point of employing the evil Lodovico. And while we know Lodovico is evil, we probably will applaud him if he contributes to Bracciano's comeuppance. Onto Act 5. Bracciano and Vittoria marry. Disuised, Francisco finds his way into Bracciano's territory. Well, Fracisco and Lodovico succeed in killing Bracciano. But things are not quite over. Giovanni is sad over his father's death. Vittoria (Bracciano's widow) is in charge for the moment. And Flamineo thinks he can get some money out of his sister. (Why not? He aided her in her affair. Vittoria probably has access to money now.) Bracciano's ghost appears to Flamineo foreshadowing his downfall. Interestingly, in John Webster, ghosts appear to the people who were close to them as opposed to their enemies. The play ends in the massacre of Zanche, Flamineo, and Vittoria by Lodovico. (Undoubtedly, Francisco and Lodovico wanted them dead as well to avenge Isabella.) Giovanni to some extent restores orders and Lodovico tells Giovanni that Francisco was involved. Lodovico can be punished, But what can Giovanni do to his uncle Francisco? Francisco is also a duke. Overall, its a good play, but you do have to have a tolerance for brutal scenes as well as passages preoccupied with death.

After you read this, read The Duchess of Malfi, considered Webster's masterpiece. You cannot go wrong with the Revels editions of these plays.

For those of you familiar with my writing, you know I cherish the works of Marlowe, Shakespeare, Milton, Hawthorne, and Dickens. Well, I now have a 6th favorite. Lodovico is frighteningly demonic. 1st he participates in the murder of Isabella, then he participates in the revenge of Isabella! Poor Isabella is memorable as a picture of innocence. Vittoria is an interesting woman. She is not exactly a picture of innocence, but she does carry herself well, and she faces her death with as much dignity as possible. Webster also draws the dissension between Francisco and Bracciano well. Bracciano is captivating with all of his ambition. Francisco is memorable as the good and decent man prompted to fury by the death of his innocent sister. The harsh tones between Cornelia and her son Flamineo are dramatic. Bracciano's son Giovanni is well drawn. First he is an innocent young man, but his lines reveal his good character. Then we see him after he has lost both his parents. Finally, he flips the tables on everyone and restores order. Cardinal Monticelso is also captivating. He is a very careful character who probes the situations without losing his sense of reason. And we need not be surprised when this careful character is promoted to Pope Paul IV. What's left? Only striking images, only well constructed passages, only pure terror side by side with beauty etc. My only complaint about this play is that Webster combines 2 wonderful final touches that would be wonderful by themselves, but do not combine well (in my opinion). Lodovico's delight in his massacre does not (in my opinion) mix well with Giovanni's sudden rise to power and his sudden crush of the situation. In my opinion what makes Edward III's restoration to order in Marlowe's "Edward II" so dramatic is the pure terror the 17 year old king instills in his enemies. At this point, I would like to thank all of you who found my reviews helpful.

For those of you who read my reviews and use them to try to understand literature, I owe you an apology. I made a slight error in my review of this, and I will correct it now. For those of you who know me, I cherish the writings of Marlowe, Shakespeare, Milton, Hawthorne, and Dickens. I now have a 6th hero. The opening is quite captivating when through testimony we learn of Lodovico's evil. Webster also grabs our attention with the affair between Vittoria and Bracciano. Despite the questionable qualities of these 2 characters, they are easy to like. He also draws the division between the virtuous Francisco and the ambitious Bracciano well. Cornelia is memorable as the mother who despairs over the actions of her children Flamineo and Vittoria. Isabella is fine as a picture of innocence. The Cardinal is captivating as one of the most careful characters in the play,and we need not be surprised when he gets elected Pope. Bracciano's son Giovanni is drawn well. Through an early appearance, we get a look at his character. We then see him in mourning after he has lost both his parents. Finally, we see him restore order after the massacre has fully unleashed. Lodovico is fine as a picture of ambition. (The mistake I made was that I named Lodovico in the murder of Isabella. He was innocent of her murder. But it is possible to wonder if his affair with her 'Bracciano's wife' triggered Bracciano's affair with Vittoria. Ofcourse, the affair between Bracciano and Vittoria triggers the events of this play.) Webster also offers us horrifying and yet beautiful passages, chilling omens such as the ghosts of Isabella and Bracciano, and pure suspense. My only complaint about this is that Lodovico's delight in his massacre does not mix well with Giovanni's sudden rise to power and his restoration of order. In Marlowe's "Edward II," the 17 year old Edward III fills his enemies with pure terror when he gains control of the situation. Once again, I apologize for my error, and I wish to thank all of you who found my reviews helpful.

The Melanie Travis series has been fun to follow and enlightening with regard to the details of the "show dog" world - from a "real" person's perspective (Melanie)with the bonus of fun mysteries. This book was fine for what it offered, but was not one of the more challenging mysteries in the series. It did update the reader on the lives of the main character and her family - and added a twist to info. on the dog world - creating and advertising a "new" dog food (not obviously an interesting pursuit, but essential to this plot). I think the author had a good time writing this book and offered an easy read - for dog and mystery lovers.

The true appeal here was dog-related. All the dog information was fascinating and her descriptions of her herd of Poodles (particularly Faith) were priceless.

Unfortunately I question the mode of murder. At the risk of spoiling the plot, I wonder why someone would push Larry down the stairs while he was holding the (hopefully) winning dog - and risk injuring said winning dog (particularly considering who the murderer is finally revealed to be and why she considered Yoda the winner). And if he wasn't holding the dog when pushed, then why didn't the murderer pick up Yoda after doing the pushing? I just couldn't make it work in my mind. (As an aside, I noticed the gender of the dog kept changing throughout the book - first referred to as she, then he, then she again.)

And the constant references to pregnancy were just grating on my nerves. How Melanie could put up w/ the constant intrusions into her privacy (and her uterus is about as private as it gets!!) is just unbelievable. Good grief. If someone hounded a friend or sister like that I'd hope they'd reply with, "If you're so determined to have another child in this family, why don't YOU adopt one? I'll gladly supply you with a letter of reference." Hopefully once this kid gets born, all such intrusive references will be a part of the past.

This was my first exposure to her work. I'm looking forward to further novels full of dog stories.

Each of the Melanie Travis books takes you to her delightful life in Greenwich. The author quickly gets the reader involved in the world of dog shows and sleuthing.

Unfortunately, the books are such quick reads that you are left out in the cold again, and craving the next in her series.

Hurry up and write more, Ms. Berenson.

Everybody needs to laugh and everybody needs to think and this book makes you pee your pants laughing while trying to solve a mystery.
My hats off to Ms Berenson for making me turn the pages of this book faster than the last 4 books that I've recently read.
I highly recommend any of the entertaining Melanie Travis Mysteries.
My sincere hope is that the author is working on the next installment as I type this!

Melanie Travers can't quite bear to disappoint her son when he enters her poodle in a pet food competition and she becomes a finalist, but she doesn't really want to win. Which makes her completely unlike the other finalists. Every one of them seems intent on winning at any cost. When one of the contestants (the owner, not the pet) falls to his death on the stairs of the pet food company, Melanie finds herself in the familiar position of having to investigate what might be an accident but certainly looks like--murder.

Investigating crime is far from Melanie's major job, however. Although school may be out for the summer, she's still getting adjusted to her recent marriage, putting up with relatives urging her to start producing more children, showing her standard poodle at dog shows, and jumping through the many hoops that the contest judges have set up.

Author Laurien Berenson continues her Melanie Travis series with another look into the world of dog shows, and the unusual and colorful people who make these shows their life. These characters, especially Melanie, her aunt Peg, and gay groomer Terry bring the story to life and keep the reader interested as Melanie puts herself in dangerous situations to discover exactly what happened to the unpleasant Larry--and whether she just might be the next to fall victim.

I loved the Facelift when it was on HGTV but this was dissapointing. All of the gorgeous rooms she designed, I don't know how she decided on these. I would rather have had tiny before and after's like Trading Spaces with tips on how to create the spaces. Needless to say I was pretty dissapointed. For the faux finishers, there are a few faux finishes in the back of the book that she gave step-by step directions for.

Great book. I cant get enough of debbie travis.

The book arrived in perfect condition and in a shorter amount of time than specified. Thanks!

This book is a good companion guide to Debbie's FaceLift show. It focuses on several of her facelift projects and includes tips and a few step-by-steps for projects. Where this book excels are the photographs of the rooms, her color choices and combinations and the "before" and "after" pictures.

The first 15 or so pages contains basic info and an intro to her Facelift team. A lot of the time it is difficult to see the before pictures because they are so small, but the main part of the book, her creations, are beautiful. Most of the designs have a contemporary, modern feel. Debbie has a great way of combining function, color and classy styling to her designs.

I think my favorite part of the books are her color choices. So many of them I would never have considered but she shows how you can select a bright yellow or a subdued steel blue and make it beautiful. The best part is that most of the projects seem "doable" without expending huge outlays of time and effort (unlike some of her Painted House books).

I have a collection of five of the Debbie Travis books - this is one (Debbie Travis Facelift) that I really did not enjoy compared to the others by Debbie Travis.

This was not a very good "How to do" book - instead it only shows end results and most of the rooms shown are limited to a very eclectic or modern style of decorating. My other 4 Debbie travis books show a wide range of styles that basically can appeal to everyone and they show a variety of painting styles and decorating. For me two far more useful Debbie Travis books are Decorating Solutions which was really wonderful, and Painted House which I think is fabulous.

Laurien Berenson books are always fun to read. Although this is one in a series, each book can stand alone and is different enough to keep the reader interested and waiting for the next book! This book opens with Melanie, who shows dogs, checking out the 'Doggy Day Care' center for a friend who is going back to work and needs a place to leave her dog in the daytime. She wouldn't know what to look out for. Melanie meets the enthusiastic brother and sister who own and run the center, sees a bunch of very happy dogs playing together, resting in their rooms, and being very well taken care of. Of course, there's a murder and Melanie gets involved with the case. You meet a lot of different suspicious people, and follow along as she solves the mystery. You'll enjoy this book.

I was disappointed in this latest offering. I look forward to the latest addition to this series each year, but this one was disappointing. There was too much "cute baby" and not enough dog interaction. I hope she gets back to her previous format, if she continues this series, although the ending might indicate there will not be an addition. Not enough Poodle input!!

Even though she moved out of her neighborhood after she married Sam, Melanie Travis remains in touch with her good friend Alice Brickman, who is returning to work after being a stay at home mom for years. Worried about her Golden Retriever being alone in an empty nest, Alice asks Melanie to investigate the Pine Ridge Canine Care Center to see if it would be a good place for her to leave her beloved dog Berkley while she works.

When Melanie goes to inspect the doggie day care center, she is taken aback to see the canines enjoying a luxurious lifestyle watching TV while sitting on couches and chairs and playing with toys. When she and Alice go to sign up Berkley, they find the co-owner of the facility Steve Pine shot to death. Melanie learns that Steve's partner his sister Candy inherits the doggie day care center. She also learns an irate neighbor Adam Busch loathes the Pine siblings blaming them for ruining their neighborhood. Finally the victim was a womanizer who hit on his female clients and Lila Bennington who is suing the facility. Suspects are everywhere.

Although Melanie's plate is full with her Aunt Peg and her newborn Kevin, and with a dog show coming up she cannot resist investigating the homicide; why she does so beyond the Nancy Drew obsession syndrome is an unanswered question. The number of suspects is enormous, which in turn makes this a great entry in the caper canine series. Fans will enjoy this fine cozy while wishing their lives went to the dogs, at least those pampered at Pine Ridge.

Harriet Klausner

Laurien Berenson's latest entry in her Melanie Travis series shows the problems that arise in a series -- too many characters, too much back story to keep moving, not enough attention to the mystery. I've been an eager follower of this series from the start [A Pedigree to Die For]. The series is strongest when it focuses on Melanie, her aunt Peg, her son Davey, and their assorted, gorgeous, and well-trained poodles. It also needs a strong mystery, serious contenders for the "guilty" title, and a whiff of danger.

Her previous entry, Hounded to Death, was a tighter book, with suspects coming in and out of focus and a strong sideline with Aunt Peg and her rescue dog. That book benefited from taking Melanie, Aunt Peg, and Bertie out of their homes and into the confined area of a resort -- so there weren't so many extraneous characters and plot lines to keep moving. [Her ex-neighbors unseen husband? Really!] Here, the strongest suspense comes with Davey's venture into Junior dog handling. And while Melanie figures out the victim's fatal flaw that got him murdered, the killer announces him/herself rather than being tracked down by her.

Stronger entries show that the author can do much better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next entry.

The newest, eagerly awaited, Melanie Travis mystery is as engrossing and enjoyable as expected. This book shows that a lot has changed in the Melanie's life lately....new house, new baby, new job status and a still-in-the-honeymoon-phase new husband. As I have said in a previous review, one of the best aspects of this series is that the characters are continually growing and developing. The changes in Melanie's life are realistic and interesting and the characters so likeable, that you will find yourself cheering them on. The setting of the doggie day care center is perfect for providing a diverse and often hilarious cast of characters/suspects. Melanie's interaction with the bratty receptionist is priceless. The mystery was unexpected with such a wide cast of suspects and I enjoyed the involvement of Alice Brickman, Melanie's best friend and the mother of Davey's best friend. It reminded me of Faith/Pix friendship in the Katherine Hall Page books and was a nice development in the series.

In general, this series avoids a number of pitfalls that drive me crazy in other series in this genre.....the angry, overprotective husband/boyfriend who doesn't want the heroine to investigate, the unrealistic, cheesy love life (usually a love triangle and/or the unlucky in love), the non-passage of time, etc. The tone and progression of this series is pitch perfect. The only thing I am kind of missing is the dog show backdrop, there is just so much atmosphere to enjoy at a dog show that the books that primarily take place at dog shows are my favorites. I do, however, understand that it would be pretty silly if someone dropped dead everytime Melanie went to a show. Also, I am ready for Aunt Peg to have another boyfriend :) All in all, another pick of the litter.

The general theory of crime is part of neo-liberal discourse that finds its roots in panopticism. Panopticism is a method of social control that functions by having people watch themselves, so that no one else, such as the police, intervenes. In other words, people produce a self that, in turn, polices itself via self-control. In essence, people are their own police and, for this reason, they become extremely individualized.

As much as Gottfredson and Hirschi would like to think they have provided an "original" contribution to the literature in sociology/criminology, their thesis is nothing more than a reworked version of both panopticism and the christian religion. For instance, low self-control is the frail human who is sinful, opportunity is temptation, and guardianship (physical, self, or perceived) is god. High self-control, of course, is panopticism. Furthermore, their thesis completely dismisses class, culture, and power as explanations for why people "deviate." My suggestion is to read Foucault, and then read a general theory of crime as a way to situate it within a framework of panopticism. Gaining self-control only ensures that people will remain docile, obedient, and less resistant.

Finally, Gottfredson and Hirschi offer absolutely no critical analysis of how their theory discursively INVENTS people as subjects of themselves. In other words, their "theory" is not about "discovering" the "causes" of crime; instead, it is an attempt to map out a technique of power that can be used to confine, correct, discipline, and subtly punish people who "deviate" from "high self-control" and mainstream society. In other words, it is about maintaining control over people so they become better workers who fit in nicely with a capitalist society that is based on production. My recommendation is to read Discipline and Punish and move on to more informed and critical analyses of deviance and crime. Forget Gottfredson and Hirschi!

I haven't read the book, but I do intend to purchase it based on the unfavorable review of David Redmon. I hadn't encountered a thought process or vocabulary such as his since taking a couple of undergraduate sociology courses for easy A's in the early & mid'70's. I could not avoid breaking up & laughing out loud at my office when I read, "Gaining self-control only ensures that people will remain docile, obediant & less resistant." Far-f___ing out, Man! (I hope he doesn't bring his kids to any restaurant where I'm eating, as I'm sure his disdain for self-control & obediance will be reflected in their running wild & yelling, much to the displeasure of those of us who believe self-control & obediance are frequently virtues.)
This fellow is a caricature of the Leftist/Marxist-chic student so popular when Communism (not to mention a disregard for more traditional values) was perceived to be on the rise 30 some years ago. Although Communism has been consigned to the proverbial junk-heap of history since then--and a long lost respect for traditional values has emerged-- Mr. Redmon no doubt laments those developments, if he's even cognizant of them.
I can't wait to read his other reviews. It will be like entering a time warp & remembering my carefree college days.

Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory of crime commission rests upon basic mostly unstated assumptions about human nature that people are essentially born selfish and with the desires to seek out pleasure and avoid pain. It is only through socialization that we learn how to control these impulses and delay gratification, so we can seek pleasure through society's legitimate means and avoid harming others. It is no surprise that they develop their definition of crime around this idea: "acts of force or fraud undertaken in the pursuit of self-interest." (p. 15).

There are, of course, several things wrong with this definition. They examine in their book behavior that does not meet this definition, such as drug use (not an act of force or fraud, although it fits the normally-conceived definition of a "crime" as being "illegal"). Furthermore, not all crimes are undertaken in the pursuit of self-interest (or at least ONLY in self-interest), for example, altruistic crimes and civil disobedience.

While studies that have actually tested it show it to be an important theory, many use behavioral measures lack external validity: they measure low self-control with the dependent variable itself by saying we can recognize people who have low self-control by their crimes and vise versa. This is a circular argument. Other studies question whether self-control is truly stable throughout the life course, which is one of the major premises of the book.

It's an interesting conceptual idea, but the theory as laid out in this book alone is hardly the "general theory of crime."

This book is the best presentation of control theory in criminology. If you are prone to Marxist criminology, this book will drive you nuts. The problem that G&H run into a lot, however, is what makes a crime a crime. If a man saved a baby from being inside a locked car by breaking the front window, how exactly is that different (in terms of property damage) from a gang member getting his kicks -- breaking a car window at random? Why is one act right, but the other act wrong? The consequences are the same. So is crime all about intention and not consequences? G&H could have clarified this point more.

"A general theory of crime" represents a paradigm shift in the way we think about crime and criminals. Like any other scientific paradigm shift, there has been great resistance to the theory by sociologists who continue to blame crime on social deprivation, poverty and other social causes. The book discredits old sociological theories and illustrates that the cause of crime is poor parenting and the failure of parents to teach their children to delay gratification. Since the book's publication, it has been the most widely tested theory in criminology with substantial empirical support. If you want to understand the mind of a criminal offender and the nature of criminality, this is the book for you. The book also describes the necessary conditions for individual crimes to occur, a section that is valuable for readers who want to prevent their own victimization. In addition, the book demonstrates that offenders do not specialize in crime types like murder and sex crimes; instead, offenders tend to commit a wide variety of crimes and engage in a variety of self-destructive behaviors like drinking, drugging, speeding, traffic accidents, and promiscuous sex. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the general theory is the data presented that links age and crime, with peak arrest rates occurring between the ages of 17 and 19 and precipitously dropping off after the teenage years. The implications of the book for preventing crime are that we need to spend more money on early childhood programs that teach parents how to love their children and instill in them the self-control they need to delay gratification (such staying in school) and generally engage in long-term rather than short-term thinking.