Michael Ryan Books

Linda Williams is nearly alone (until quite recently) as a serious academic on the topic of porn. Her insights and scope of information are wide and deep. This is a well informed serious scholar.

This book is a lot of valuable information in a small space. Which is good because then, unlike in "dummies" versions, we're not spending more time reading the book then doing the actual research (!) Sections include real time discussion, usenet news, email, evaluating/documenting sources, and researching literature.

Ryan's poetry sparkles in the dead of a mid-life crisis. He juxtaposoes both the empathetic and the sarcastic. These poems are testaments for those who ponder through depression in search of inspiration. His prosaic imagery transcends the commplace, and rolls with the back-beats of route 66. Filled with references that range from Leadbelly to William Butler Yeats, these poems prove to be works of vision. Even in the face of despair, they are full of humor and passion. This is poetry for both the intellectual and the dreamer. This is because these poems are alive--feel them branch out into rythms, melody lines filled with chants that break and refrain. Ryan states, "What wakes with music, wakes the muse." And, I agree. Like Dylan Thomas and TS Eliot before him, Ryan writes poetry that goes beyond the page and into the hearts of generations.

"This is came from public library resell store market major collection central general.
So, that is library stickers and marks and official making normally include.
Special library edition.
7-1.1/2 Hours audio cassettes.
Read by Michael Prichard.
But, case has been seem cracked tapped and dirt.
But, still good to be listenable condition."
[from the experience]

"A thousand British and American POWs learn to hate the American colonel who singlehandedly shapes them up.
His strict discipline brings order to the camp;
it also earns him a derisive "von."
When Italy surrenders, German guards herd the men into boxcars.
He reckons to take the train to Switzerland...and freedom.

"A TAUT, EXCITING AND WELL-KEYED WAR NOVEL...Ryan is a difficult hero to like, but he is a hero nonetheless.
An exciting, authentic book." (Book Week)
[from the covers of case]

This is an excellent book that expresses the current confusion of public school governance. Each article discusses, from a different
perspective, political and legual issues that have changed the face of public schools in America. Should the federal government be involved in public education? What will be the result of such a change? What has happened to local control? What does the constitution tell us about who should govern schools? How are current curricular and personnel policies impacting the success of students. This book provides insights and answers that are critial for anyone interested in public education to read.

I found this book fascinating. I had read Michael Lewis' earlier book "Liar's Poker", about his dealings on Wall Street. What struck me most was how he brought his free-market capitalism frame of reference to the world of Major League Baseball and found that for a small group avant-garde managers, the same basic rules apply. Buy low, sell high, don't listen to market hype, and never get emotional. This book might be disturbing to people who have a lifetime love of the pure game, but Major League Baseball is also a business and has to be acknowledged as such.

So I'm a big fan of fantasy baseball. And for those that are as well, you know that playing the fantasy game changes the way you look at everything. Moneyball has the same effect. It just revolutionizes your outlook on the game of baseball. The "important" stats like RBIs and runs are replaced with really important ones, like OBP and pitches per at bat. No name guys like Scott Hatteberg become cogs that make teams great.

Michael Lewis crafts a book that is engaging on several levels -- to the baseball fan, the economist, and the statistician.

Ever wonder why we give more credit statistically to a guy that bloops a single just out of a poor fielder's reach vs. the guy that smashes a homerun, but is robbed by an amazing leaping catch? This book answers those sorts of questions. And it does so through the amazingly in depth looks at the mind of Billy Beane, the genius that built the A's, renowned for their ability to find talent that other teams miss.

I would highly recommend this book to any fan of baseball on any level. It's a truly great book, and one that will leave you feeling a bit like you stumbled upon a little known secret. You'll suddenly rush and start analyzing the latest pickups of your favorite team. You'll feel compelled to run out and follow the career of guys you'd never heard of before reading the book (and hint...they don't get on SportsCenter that often...). No regrets after reading this, and I promise it will be staying on my shelf for a long time.

My 15 yr. old son is currently reading it. He can't put it down and he is not an avid reader. He is a baseball nut who not only follows the sport but plays it in high school and hopefully college in a few years. Everyone who catches a glimpse of him reading Moneyball raves about the book themselves. It's an A+ in this mom's book.

I love sports. I love business, finance, and statistics. I've never been a baseball fan. This book was very well written to appeal to a very broad audience with a wide variety of backgrounds on the topic. The principle observations are delivered through expert story telling around very compelling central figures.

Without flowery language or paragraph after paragraph of adjectives - Lewis recounts experiences and conversations with such clarity that you can almost see, smell, and hear the scenes unfolding.

I won't look at baseball or the exploitation of market inefficiencies the same after having read this book. I'd recommend this book to anyone with intellectual curiosity.

Baseball is a game that nerds can really enjoy, largely because of the availability of abundant and meaningful statistics. Back in the 1970s the basic numbers could be obtained through books that were published every year, but a small group of super-geeks began looking more deeply into the mathematics of the game and developing their own metrics for rating players. These guys were mostly self-taught statisticians and motivated entirely by an obsessive passion for the game. I'm talking about people like Bill James, who a few decades ago was a security guard who began publishing really interesting and well-written analyses of baseball statistics in his famous Bill James Baseball Abstracts.

Of course baseball is also fun to watch, even for those who don't enjoy crunching numbers in their spare time. That's why it's a multibillion dollar business, and that's where the influence of the Jamesians gets really interesting. The thing is that for the sport's first 100 or so years the process of locating and recruiting talented players was based entirely on the gut instinct of the scouts employed by each team. These guys were mostly ex-players who made decisions based on notions that had nothing to do with (and often conflicted completely with) the available evidence. (The fact that the world is run almost entirely by people who think this way makes this book all the more insightful.)

Moneyball highlights the success of General Manager Billy Beane, who was able to run a very successful team for many years on a low budget by adapting the statistical approach. Interestingly, Beane was a player who was highly touted by the old-school scouts who employed the conventional criteria (which apparently amounted to something like imagining how the player would look on a baseball card). Beane's struggled throughout the 1990s to bring baseball into the 20th century, and he has had a substantial impact on the game, although any fan who watches the sport in 2008 will tell you that old habits die hard.

Great book! I couldn't put it down. Very interesting how the author used a novel to present a breakthrough business theory.

I have just started to read this book, and from the very beginning it feels like you are inside the normal reality of manufacturing.
It is easy to write books about theories, but giving a real feeling of daily manufacturing issues is something new.
I expect a lot form reading the whole, since page by page you discover more as the guy who's involved in story.

This is a fantastic book. I like the approach used to bring the concepts across to the reader. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a novel with the purpose of instructing the reader in the theory of constraints. The book details how one should go about analyzing operations or any system to find, fix and/or optimize the overall structure and the overall process. It is about the analysis of processes and how to structure them and manage them, in view of the constraints contained within them. Anyone interested in accounting, operations management, process management, continuous improvement, etc. should read this book. It is a fast and easy read, but it contains much substantive insight into analyzing and optimizing processes.

I was required to get this book for an operations management course in college. It was definitely an enjoyable read, especially for a business book. The narrative format made for a very easy read. The real world examples offered make the connection between theory and application. We were given this book in place of a textbook, and it was about a million times more entertaining than any textbook.

My husband and I buy and read every Michael Connelly book featuring Harry Bosch, a world class fiction detective.
This is a change of genre, to a court room thriller, and you will not want to stop reading it. Harry Bosch does not appear, as the author introduce a new main character.
Mickey Haller, criminal defense attorney, has a harrowing tour in these pages. I enjoyed every minute of being along for the roller coaster ups and downs, as Mickey struggles to build his career, remain friends with his two ex-wives, become a better dad to his little girl, and mostly: to stay alive and out of prison, as he is set up to take a fall.
Not only is this novel stellar, but I look forward to reading The Brass Verdict, where Mickey and Bosch will star, this October.
This review written by the co-author ofA Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts: Stories to Warm Your Heart and Tips to Simplify Your Holidays

I had given up on fiction, but fortunately still had this book in my unread pile. So I started reading it, and found it entertaining and intelligent. The characters are all believeable and interesting, especially the protagonist, and the plot kept me guessing. Most important--I kept reading, because I wanted to find out what happens. With all the other bestsellers I've read, they were so stupid, I didn't care what happened. Connelly is brilliant.

Gives great insight into the day-to-day working of a Defense Attorney. A page turner with twists that are not cheap, but are earned. Thrilling, yet intelligent writing.

Michael Connelly's mystery/thrillers have always satisfied my appetite for urban crime stories. His Harry Bosch novels focus on a lost soul trying to make sense of the chaos in Los Angeles, and stop killers along the way. The Lincoln Lawyer came as a surprise - because there is humor and a fine eye for the absurd in Mickey Haller, the trial lawyer protagonist referenced by the book's title. The novel is a page turner with rich characters and twisted motives that will haunt you long after you finish the last page.

As usual Mr Connelly managed to entertain me with every page. This is one of his best. Love the new character Haller and looking forward to seeing him in future novels.

'The Wide Window' is the third book in the Lemony Snicket "Series of Unfortunate Events". The Baudelaire children are put in the care of a distant relation, "Aunt Josephine", who is a grammar freak. Shortly after their arrival, they run into their foe who this time is masquerading as Captain Sham, a renter of sailboats. Aunt Josephine is gone soon, and was forced to leave a note giving the children to Sham. This would be too predictable, but the children know who he is immediately and we are told. Mr. Poe, tho, doesn't believe the children and the excitement is on as the orphans must take one of Captain Sham's sailboats, battle a hurricane, and figure out a rescue device before their boat sinks into the huge lake, full of leeches. Fine reading that entertains and keeps one at the edge of their seat.

The book I have read is called The Series of Unfortunate Events, The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket. This book is a fantasy.

This story begins with the three Baudelaire children. Klaus, Violet, and Sunny are three of the main characters. One day, the Baudelaire children got into a cab to go to their guardian, their Aunt Josephine, who has many fears. She lives by a lake and her house is high in the air. The Baudelaire's went to the store once with their Aunt Josephine to get some food, and right then and there Violet ran into Count Olaf. For those who don't know Count Olaf is trying to kill the children because of their fortune their parents left behind when they died. No one believed the children though, because Count Olaf was in disguise as Captain Sham. Later on in the story, the Baudelaire's find out that Aunt Josephine has a library, but only full of grammar books. The children wonder why there aren't any books about the lake or anything else. Aunt Josephine told them that her husband had drowned in that lake because of the water leeches in the lake, and she ever wanted to look at another book about the lake again. So one day Aunt Josephine was eating dinner with the children when the phone rang, It was so called "Captain Sham" really Count Olaf. Violet answered the phone since Aunt Josephine was scared to. The next thing you know is the children are in there beds when all of a sudden they hear a big CRASH! It was the wide window in the library! Aunt Josephine had jumped out the window leaving a note though, it said that she had decided to leave the children in the hands of Captain Sham. The letter had many grammar errors though, that was unusual about Aunt Josephine too! The many errors it had left a message for the children saying Curled Cave. This probably meant that she was hiding there. So the children looked up about the Cured Cave, and got on a sailboat to go and get her. The children barely got in the sailboat because of one of Count Olaf's helper, but they managed. They got to Curled Cave, but Aunt Josephine would not leave. He finally left when Klaus said that realtors would come. When they were in the boat they were over the part where the leeches were located. Aunt Josephine was horrified since she had just eaten. Leeches attack people down by food! When they are getting attacked by the leeches Count Olaf comes. And the rest you will have to read to know the ending.

I liked this book very much. It just might be the best book I have ever read. I like this book because of all of its details and actions! It was a very interesting book! Something you will want to read. I think this book is suitable for a 4th , 5th, or a 6th grader.

Tim Curry does an excellent job at reading through this book. He is very dramatic, and makes the characters believable. :)

His appearance in this book is my favorite disguise, although the next one is groan good. The kids go to their Aunt Josephine's house over Lake Lachrymose and is extremely agoraphobic and paranoid of anything bad happening. This one is the first book to truly put a sad set of events in place and make the entire setting feel gloomy. I feel bad at Aunt Jospehine's demise, not because she's nice, but because I hoped she would get better by being around the kids. My favorite moment has to be when the orphans are going to borrow a boat from the harbor and must get around Olaf's associate whose look is ambiguous and it makes the children pause when discussing him.

Count Olaf is back and he is definitely ready to attack! Have you ever encountered an evil genius that is obsessed with eyes, has the tattoo of an eye on his ankle, and has only one eyebrow? Have you ever encountered someone that knows your every move? This sounds like a horrible nightmare doesn't it? Well, in the lives of the three Baudelaire children, this would be their living nightmare. The Baudelaire parents died in a fire and Violet (14), Klaus (11), and Sunny (3) have switched from guardian to guardian since then. Their current is their far off aunt, Aunt Josephine. She was of no help when Count Olaf A.K.A. Captain Sham attacks again. She was of no help for the simple fact that Aunt Josephine (sad to say) was afraid of everything!!!...Yes, everything! Stoves, doorknobs, and even retailers, you name it, she was afraid of it. The kids try to rely on her but right in time, she commits suicide.

The rest of the story is about if the letter that Aunt Josephine wrote was something that was real or fake. In her letter she mentions that the kids are to be under the care of Captain Sham. Now, the Baudelaires have to search for the truth behind the mystery of their Aunt Josephine and run away from Captain Sham.

This book is a suspenseful thriller that is mysterious and sad. This book contains a diversity of genres that many teens would love! Drama, mystery, suicide, and the treacherous schemes the villain cooks up full this book. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys the exciting novels with shocking ending. I would recommend the first two books before reading this one though.

- Valli Chittajallu

This book is just awsome, I watched the movie several times and the book is just as good. I would recommand this book to anyone.It is not hard to read, but at certain times the author does jump a bit from one character to another.

The best book I have ever read- puts movie to shame (and very different from movie). I gave to all my family- it is life changing!

Book review by: Rahul Borkar
Pay it Forward by: Catherine Ryan Hyde is probably one of the best books I have ever read. It is a realistic fiction book. It is about a kid named Trevor who was given an assignment to do something that would change the whole world. Usually the teacher that gave this project his new and most favorite teacher Mr. St. Clair or Reuben not expecting whole world changing results. But Reuben soon saw Trevor really is going to change the world. Reuben was in the Vietnam War and had half of his face ruined and scared same with the rest of his body but not as badly. Later Arlene became very good friends with Reuben and they really got to know each other. Trevor was really glad because he really liked Reuben as a father although his father Ricky had been gone for a year.
Trevor's idea was very smart and considerate that it would change the WHOLE world. His idea (Pay it Forward) started as him helping three people. And after he helped those three people they helped three people and they help three and so forth. But bad things happened after Trevor helped his three people. One of them went to jail and one had died. Was there still hope left?
This could relate to anybody any day by doing small deeds. I really enjoyed Catherine Ryan Hyde's style of writing. She would build up a lot of suspense and let it out in a big event and start over. Her writing is not too descriptive and not too vague.
I really enjoyed this book because of the style of writing and because I found the story amazing. Many people have told me "That book is great, the book is too!" I took their advice and I am glad I did.

I enjoyed reading this book, and watching the movie. It made me think twice about life and helping others. I didn't know that one middle school kid could change so many peoples lives. Very insperational, but also makes some tears start flowing.

I am very impressed with the speed of the delivery concerning the book, and the book itself was amazing!!!! My family also orders things through Amazon and has never had any problems, keep up the good work!! :)