Michael Ryan Books

Joss Whedon is my favorite writer of all time. So when I say that I was wary about him taking over this series for an arc, understand that isn't because I was worried about where he'd take the story, because I know he'd do it justice. It was simply because the story came from Brian K. Vaughan's mind, and the mere fact of seeing anyone else carry it on was scary, because BKV did such a fantastic job. "Runaways" has always been one of my favorite comics, and I wanted to make sure it didn't just become one of those Marvel stories that they pass from writer to writer until it loses its feel. So basically, I was worried that my favorite writer wouldn't be a good fit for "Runaways."

THE STORY: Thankfully, I was wrong. The story itself is pretty perfect, in that it really picks up from the point where Brian K. Vaughan left them, while not just continuing the same story but giving us a new plot to get invested in. It also fits nicely into current Marvel continuity, which BKV tended to stray away from--however, Joss makes it work because you don't have to understand or know about what has been going on in the Marvel world to get it. Also, there are some nice call back to old events. The plot involves time-travel, though it ends up being more action-adventure than science fiction. I feel that Joss kind of lost the feel of the story in the middle by bloating it up, filling it with way too many new characters (the Adjudicator, a parallel to the Punisher who is also featured here, was beyond unnecessary), but he gets his footing back in the last issues. Most of the notable amount of plot threads Joss created get paid off nicely, and the arc and theme of the story come together in the end with high, very Whedonesque emotional payoff. I should have trusted Joss more, because he really gave us a great story.

THE CHARACTERS: More than once, Joss has said how much he loves these characters, and it really shows in his writing. The dialogue is great and quirky and true to BKV's characters, and for the most part I like where Joss took them. The only thing I hated was what he did with Nico. Making her gain so much power (Willow-izing her, really) was such a staggeringly huge mistake, because the most interesting thing about her is the limits of her power and how she manipulates her little power to do huge things. The rest of the story pretty much makes up for it, especially the new characters, which I thought I would dislike. But they were great and had some great emotional moments in the little page time they were given.

THE ART: Though I really mourned losing Adrian Alphona as the regular artist for this series, I did love Michael Ryan's take on the characters. His style is a bit different than Alphona's, but it's still supremely atmospheric and filled with detail. The only character I didn't think he handled that well was Chase, but the attention he gives to detail--especially during the climatic battle scene--makes up for it.

8/10

If you've been following comics lately it is pretty clear that Joss Whedon and Brian K. Vaughan have formed a mutual admiration society. Although THE RUNAWAYS was created in the post-House of M Marvel universe, it clearly owed its inspiration more to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER than to anything other source. It is almost impossible to read the adventures of the Runaways and not think of the Scoobies. And Molly, my favorite Runaway, is an utterly Whedonesque creation. Furthermore, it was hardly a surprise when Whedon invited Vaughan to take on the second major arc in BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Season 8, the story dealing with Faith's attempt to rein in a rogue slayer. And at the party celebrating the final issue of Vaughan's great comic epic Y: THE LAST MAN, Vaughan was introduced by none other than Whedon. So, it just seems natural that Whedon would be the first person to continue Vaughan's baby (excepting a Runaways/Young Avengers team up in the Civil War cycle).

I won't go into great detail into the plot. Suffice it to say that the kids spend most of the tale at a point in the past. Though the story has many Whedonesque touches, it remains very much in the spirit of the three volumes of stories written by Vaughan. The issues are filled with many wonderful moments, including what is unquestionably my favorite moment in all of the stories (well, possibly tied with the moment when Molly flips over a monster the size of Godzilla when Nico hits her with the spell "Caffeine" -- or is it caffeinate? [I'm moving in three days and all my books are packed up so I am afraid that I can't verify the precise name of the spell] in Vaughan final volume of issues). The kids are pulling off a heist in order to get the protection of the Kingpin. Both because of the registration of the super empowered within the Civil War universe and their fear of being split up and placed in to foster homes (with Molly unquestionably going to the Xavier Institute, as one of the world's last surviving mutants) they seek his aid. But as a quid pro quo they have to retrieve an artifact for him.

During the break in the kids are discovered by the Punisher. Molly, who in a previous adventure had (much to his surprise) pretty badly beaten up Wolverine, turned and hit him in the stomach. Upon learning that while he wore a uniform he was not in any way superempowered, Molly felt horribly apologetic. Throughout the rest of the story the Punisher remains in a position of extreme agony, attempting to remain as stoically immobile as possible despite his great pain. It is a great moment. The cover depicted here is based on the cover in which Molly hits him. In the original cover Molly is standing in the cover pose, only with the torso of the Punisher clearly visible behind her.

The overall story is a sad one, with the kids gaining a new member, though not the one we might have expected. There are some nice twists including the parents of one of the Runaways (I won't say which one, but anyone familiar with the series would easily be able to guess).

I have to say that while I absolutely love Joss Whedon, I'm not sure the publishers needed to help him break the record for the largest font size every used to print the name of the author. Does "Joss Whedon" really need to be 6 or 7 times larger than "The Runaways"?

The great news is that The Runaways will continue under a new writer (I heard who is was, but I must confess that I don't recall at the moment). My understanding is that the new series will reset to issue No. 1. I can't wait. They remain my favorite series in the Marvel Universe at the moment. They are unique in a way that none of the other Marvel entries are. The others all seem to be variations on the "men in tights" theme. The kids absolutely refuse to wear uniforms, though Molly occasionally insists on attempting a makeshift one, and always manages to sport a hat with an animal theme. I will say that if you are a Joss Whedon fan and are picking this up because he wrote it, I suggest that you go back and start at the beginning. All three of Brian K. Vaughan's original Runaways collections are available at a very reasonable price. They all are, like the current volume, definitely worth owning.

Believe "Ryan's Daughter" one of the all time greats. Lost count how many times I've watched it and will still do so every few months. Enthralled to read all about the making of the movie in "Trouble on Location", so much I did not know and fascinated to see photos of location shoots as they are now.

So caught up in this that if I ever visit Ireland (my forebears came from county Tyrone)I will visit the locations. Recommend this book to anyone who loves this movie.

Mack.

For movie buffs hooked on Lean, especially those who love Ryan's Daughter, despite critical bashing that hasve altogether subsided, this is a bonanza of facts, trivia, and first-hand information about the making of this "troubled epic." Tanner, who lived on the Dinlge Peninsula for many years, has a assembled as many documented material as one would desire to see--at times going over the same ground as famed biographers of Lean like Gene Phillips and Kevin Brownlow--delving into the minutest details, from Sarah Miles's dental work to Robert Mitcum's drunken habits, to Christopher Jones's voice-dubbing, but doing so judiciously, selecting materials from locals who remembered the impact on this giant project's local economy. In three parts and eleven chapters, he explores the genesis of the idea by Robert Bolt, his collaboration with Lean on the script, and the latter's unrelenting efforts to make this movie despite delays, bad weather, and pressures from MGM executives for going over budget. In his Author's Note,Tanner eschews critical opinion, some of which he dismisses as "naval-gazing." His book is not meant to be critical analysis of David Lean. But the plethora of facts he provides may be the groundwork for scholars who wish wish to go beyond them. The rich illustrations help his point--for they give abundant evidence that this most neglected of the Lean epics is a timeless love story that refuses to wear out, despite the critical panning it received at the time of its release. Ryan's Daughter will remain a great, beautiful love story, and Tanner's book renews one appetite for for the film's visual riches and superb Lean story-telling.

The first section of the Michael Lewis book "Next" is an extremely interesting story about Jonathan Lebed, a kid who basically found a loophole in the SEC's rules about what is right and wrong when it comes to stock manipulation. You see, Jonathan found out that he could buy a stock cheap and then drive up it's price by posting all over internet forums, convincing others to buy it. Then, he would sell high and make a killing. The fascinating thing is that this is similar to what stock analysts and other experts in the industry do every day. They make projections and recommend stocks, which will have the same outcome: changing the stock price. And these supposed analysts actually have a financial incentive to do this!!

The next kid, Marcus Arnold, has all kinds of knowledge on law, most of which he evidently gleaned from CourtTV. The lesson of Marcus is that you can become whoever you want on the internet (wearing a mask, the author terms it), and gain people's respect, even more so than the supposed experts.

The third teenager of this novel, Daniel Sheldon, didn't really do much on his own that was innovative, except he provides a transition story to other experts such as Justin Frankel (original creator of Winamp and Gnutella). There is another short blurb on this old woman being surveyed by some interactive TV hardware. These final stories are relevant, they're just not nearly as entertaining as the first two kids.

The conclusion is actually pretty good: we have Danny Hillis creating the Millennium Clock, which was supposed to be this grandiose symbol about us looking to the future with hope. Yet, before the project can be completed, it winds up being a monument meant to keep him from being forgotten. Likewise, we have Bill Joy (chief scientist at Sun Microsystems) somehow writing a book about a supposed Armageddon substance called "Gray Goo," screaming that the sky is falling despite not being any kind of expert in the field. It's just kind of ironic, because they have become the washed-up "incumbent" technologists, and the future isn't in their hands anymore.

The general theme is that the internet has allowed children to become experts. And despite the book being chiefly about technology, Lewis doesn't lose the reader in computer terminology. Although, he does spend a bit too much time on the social ramifications of TiVo.

The first two parts are fairly strong, as was the concluding pages. This book is simply about Lewis traveling around, interviewing lots of people, and then reiterating their story. Not spectacular, but still worth a read.

This book was just written after the dot com hype and the stock market collapsed. It tells a few stories about a 15 year old boy who beats professionals in the stock market and earns a few hundred K. It is about the internet that has changed a big part of the economy. I still think it is strange -- no ridiculous -- that building websites has started a whole new economy. It is strange that people have a day job running their virtual business in second life. Next shows and tells you that the world has changed and that the internet might be the next information revolution after the steam engine started the industrial revolution...

The internet and it's ramifications. It enables one kid to make tons of money "manipulating" the stock market by his online comments, and another kid to provide legal advice even though he has no legal training. It disrupts the TV industry, etc...... Yeah, it's old news, but the stories are still entertainig.

To my mind, this is the best of Michael Lewis's work. His style and observations show the humor and zing that have become his hallmark, and his writing is at top form. Next examines the changes wrought by the Internet from the perspective of several entrepreneurs who have exploited its potential, mainly in the form of vignettes. There is no beginning, middle or end, so if you're looking for a story with a plot line, this is likely not going to appeal to you. The lack of story line is, however, what I found compelling - the theme of the book is, "There's this 1800-pound bull out there that everyone is studying and avoiding, and here are a few folks who have ventured out and ridden the bull and had great rides." This is pretty much quintessential Michael Lewis - he finds an individual, or an event, or an industry that has fomented a paradigm shift (a deliberate choice of words here, since Moneyball dealt with the emergence of SABRmetrics, whose acolytes all seem to have read "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions").

Not a profound book. Lots of story-telling to make a few good points. A fast and fun read.

I found the book short, one of the first time I've ever accused a contemporary writer (who tend toward windbaggery) of this. The story is good as far as it goes, the characters are excellent (absolutely the best aspect of the book) and the writing, well, the writing is marvelous if you like it fancy, but more than a little distracting if you, like me, want books of this ilk to move and develop narrative momentum. Momentum is something this novel lacks. Other writers (e.g., Wilbur Smith, George Fraser MacDonald, Bernard Cornwell) do this sort of thing better, imo, without the self-conscious literary baggage that Chabon brings to the enterprise. Finally, I wish someone had talked Chabon out of the supercilious afterward.

This "serial" novel (it was originally published in installments) by Chabon is a great adventure tale (it says so right there in the subtitle), but is a bit light for Chabon, whom has taken some light themes before and worked them into something much much more (the best being The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay). I get the feeling that this was as much of a writing experiment for Chabon as anything, to prove to himself that he had the skills to match Dickens (most of whose novels were published in installments). The original title of this book, "Jews with Swords," gives you a bit more of an insight into it, as in his other books, Chabon provides insight into a bit of history that most are unaware of (this time, 1000 AD) and also gets to enjoy a slight parody of the old "Road" movies of Hope/Crosby as well as the swashbuckling adventures of Flynn. I kept wanting something a little different--something more fantastical or comic, something like Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds, for instance--and this one never quite pulled me in.

Don't want to go into the details of the book, which are discussed at length in these reviews. I just wanted to add my two cents regarding Chabon. I am a Shakespearean freak and I loved this book for the same reason I love Shakespeare; I was mesmerized by the FEELING of the language in my mouth. The imagery and analogies are beautiful. Yes, the story is gentle and fairly inoffensive (while always beguiling) but the LANGUAGE makes this a wonderful read....

Waiting for the next one!

By reputation, Michael Chabon is one of America's finest young writers. When I read that he had an adventure tale set in Tenth Century Khazaria, I thought this book is going to be great. Having finished the book, what a great dissapointment! First and foremost, he lifted his two main characters from Fritz Lieber's "Fafhrd and Grey Mouser" series. Chabon changes the color and profession of the characters but they are the same characters with the same dynamic. The whole book reminded me of those terrible Dungeons and Dragons' adventure novels that I read as a teenager. While those books may have been terrible, they had the virtue of being simple and honestly written. It is hard to write a good adventure story with something new to say. If you want to read a good historical adventure story written by a serious novelist, check out the works of Arturo Perez Reverte. One day, when academics study the works of Michael Chabon, "Gentlemen of the Road" is going to be the embarassing novel that will amuse them.

I generally love books by Michael Chabon (and I've read a lot of them), so I was very disappointed when I didn't like this one. It's an old-fashioned adventure story about two traveling Jews (one thin and fair, the other thick and dark) who are quick to join any fight they encounter on the road. The story is intricate, and the prose is even more intricate. Chabon's linguistic gymnastics didn't make up for the lack of character development and the formulaic plot. I get the sense this was a quickly-written experiment published between major works. Had Chabon not been the author, I don't think this would've been publised at all.

The perfect size test prep book for throwing in a bag instead of the usual Kaplan and Princeton Review monstrosities. I wish they had more editions with just practice exams. Sometimes I wished that the answer explanations were clearer.

This is the most basic of GRE review books. If that's all you need, then it's perfect. If you need more explanations of how to solve math problems then this is not the right book.

The author of this book is trying to help you more at guessing than to help you understand the matter. Let me start with the verbal section. Some problems in the practice tests do not make sense at all. Reading the explanation I am surprised to find out that some words have meanings that cannot be found in any dictionary.

The math is horrible. In general the graphs require great skill at guessing where the values fall or otherwise you will not get correct numbers. (Practice test 2 questions 14 and 15) There are graphs that are wrong. (Practice test 2 questions 20 and 21). The problems are solved and explained in such a manner that shows you the workarounds if you have no idea how to solve the problem. The essential theory behind the problem that is being actually tested is not explained.

I would not recommend this book if you want to get an excellent score. Rather it would be good for someone who wants to get the scores from low to an acceptable level.

I bought this as a supplement to the thicker Barron's GRE Review and I could have done with one or the other. If you just want a quick review, then this is a great option. It is FULL of information and tips and everything that can be found in the thicker book but in a lot less detail. I personally preferred the larger book because I wanted more review problems and such but if you just want to brush up on a few skills and grab a few REALLY helpful pointers, then get this book. My only complaint was that it didn't have enough review problems but it's not even a true negative. Helpful study guide.

So far, using the Barron's guide has been beneficial. Since the book is not 30 pounds like other GRE study guides, I feel less intimidated about studying. Also, even though it's a small book, I don't feel like it's missing anything. I've got just a little more confidence about standardized tests now.

It is often the most difficult thing to think through your values and then derive your whole management plan for your business by it. Yet the moral success and satisfaction of your business starts from that place. It will also guide your management through some of the most difficult problems which inevitably come to challenge and see whether your values make sense.

Is your house built on rock? Or is it built on sand. We want to build on the rock.

Yet another great book for leaders or those who are leading people, not just managing people. O'Connor tells a story that gets to the heart of managing by the heart!

Easy read, great parable.

Ken Blanchard's collaboration with Dr. Michael O'Connor has produced another management, leadership, and ethical living primer that is highly recommended to all current and future organizational leaders at all levels.

This book is about an inwardly-troubled, yet outwardly "I-have-it-all" president and CEO of a struggling company who, by chance, meets a managing by values (MBV) consultant who immediately and eventually helps transform the CEO's company into a "Fortunate 500 company" and his personal life into a rewarding family success story. The authors' important message that MBV provides the best framework for stability, continuity, and growth in today's fast-paced environment of social, cultural, personal, economic, and technological change was constantly and believably reinforced.

Through meetings with the consultant and interactions with some of his other clients, the CEO learns the fundamentals of MBV and how to apply them at home and at work: the three acts of life (achieve, connect, and integrate); the four pillars of Fortunate 500 companies (`raving fans' customers, employees who feel and act like owners, satisfied owners and stockholders, and the `significant others' who interact in mutually beneficial ways with the company (to include vendors, suppliers, creditors, distributors, the community, and the competition)); and the three-phased MBV process (clarify mission and values, communicate mission and values, align daily practices with mission and values).

I was most impressed with the authors' ability to effectively balance the conceptual and practical application aspects of MBV in a story that brought their extensive research and experiences with real-life MBV organizations to life. Do not let the fact that this book was written in 1997 dissuade you from reading and learning from it for it's message is timeless and probably even more relevant today.

Finally... a book that gives more detail on how the values integration process works. Reading this book 6 months into our own values integration process is very reassuring because it really hits home on a lot of points. This book outlines the same process that we used and its working! The interpersonal relationships seem to me to be the first notable change. The buy-in part is crucial. This book is also realistic about internal opposition to the values integration and the length of time that it takes to truly become a values- based company. Another key topic in this book is that being a values-based company is about being a group of values-based people. You need to work on yourself too; it's not just that you have values when you come to work. I think an important feature of any values integration process is promoting the importance of living each day with integrity in ALL things that we do, not just at work. The amazing thing is that once you start to see and feel that your company is living your values, you will try harder to keep moving forward. Another good book to get people inspired is Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni.

The basic messages of this book can be summarized in one paragraph. First writing down values and guiding principles is necessary. It’s important to know what’s important and making sure our staff and our stakeholders buy into these values. This requires communication. Secondly, writing mission and values won't be enough. The question is how we will put our values into action. It’s in the action that you will see how committed people are to the values. Commitment will mean that people’s behavior is aligned with the mission and the values. Not only does this mean that our values have to be written in a way they provide guidance for this.

Once you know this, reading the book is a waste of time. In fact I learned nothing from this book. The *real* challenges are formulating the mission and values in such a way that people REALLY buy into them. A first level of answer can be found from book such as "Visionary Leadership Skills (Dilts, 1996) and my own book "7 steps to emotional Intellince". A second level of comes from books such as "Appriciative Inquiry".

Good Luck on your search for meaning!

(extract from newsletter of ...

This collection spotlights Warren Ellis and his issues with Superheroes and his consistant need to deconstruct them and in many ways ruin the image that they have had for decades. Once again we get a heavy dose of the 90's era Punisher Style clones out to prove thier way is the right way. There's realistic then there is someone with issues. I've read Stormwatch from the beginning and felt that this issue actually did them a disservice.

This collection rates low, down with Grant Morrisons Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe.

Warren Ellis starts his excellent revamp of Stormwatch here, as he totally changes the lineup, and splits Stormwatch into multiple teams, each with a different purpose.



Stormwatch needs all their firepower, when The High comes back out of his self imposed isolation, and decides to reshape society in his image.



Jenny Sparks had known him in the past, so they end up talking before the confrontation. Top notch hero fare.

Definitely the better of the Stormwatch collections, due in no small part to the Bendix character. This volume certainly questions the nature of superheroics, but the follow-through is sadly disappointing.

As becomes painfully clear, writing action is not Ellis strong point. The build up to a massive brawl at the conclusion of the "Change or Die" story arc leads nowhere, as characters fall into debates with each other over their role.

Bendix's return is teased at in the final issue collected here, but is never revisited during Ellis's run. Oh well.

I think this comic cemented Warren Ellis as one of my favorite writers. He takes the idea of superheroes as they had been for so long (Stormwatch) and played them off superheroes as they were conceived (The High's group). Each group thinks its ideas are right. Stormwatch is only interested in the status quo, and maybe some beneficial changes slowly introduced over time. The High's group sees the world as in need of fast, massive improvement, and they set out to do it.
The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is that the 2nd part simply doesn't flow from the first. Still an interesting read, but more padding than anything else.

Stormwatch: Change or Die reprints Stormwatch vol. 1 #48-50, the Stormwatch Preview, and Stormwatch vol. 2 #1-3. This is an excellent next step in the series, and shows Ellis becoming ever more comfortable with his characters. He responds to this increased knowledge of his characters by sending them on in an entirely new direction, but not before showing us just how messed up everything can be.

In the first story arch, we see the true intentions and background of Rose Tattoo, the betrayal of the team by one of their own, and the shaking of the team to the core. We also see a very smart storyline that further gives hints of the Authority series to come, and lets us glimpse the Doctor and Engineer for the first time, though in different forms than we are used to. The plot itself is deliciously intriguing, and keeps you turning the pages.

The second story arch is reprinting Stormwatch #1-3, and is the revamping of the team. The story and plot have their moments, but are a bit overshadowed by the first half of the book. The pencil work is more to my taste, since Jimenez took over, so that is a treat.

By this book for the first storyline alone and you will not be disappointed. It is classic Ellis and gives new layers to the characters, and hints of things to come.

Highly recommended to Authority, Stormwatch, and Ellis fans, though I think most people will enjoy it. Not recommended for younger readers due to extreme violence and sexual reference.

In the Bishop goes to the University, Blackie investigates the death of Brother Semyon Ivanivich Popov, a visiting professor at the University. The good brother's body is discovered, with his head blown off, in a university office that has been locked from the inside. Was he killed by a student who did not like his grade, a colleague who did not like his convictions, the CIA, the Russian Mafia, or the Feds? Why was he killed? Who would want him dead? How did they kill him and escape while keeping the door and windows locked from the inside?

For Bishop John Blackwood Ryan visiting The University of Chicago is like going to a foreign land. In a city of many universities, the University of Chicago sees itself as THE University. The University tends to be snobbish and credential conscious while Blackie is friendly, open and humble. Blackie is, of course, shrewder than the average academic.

This is a very dangerous case for Blackie. Once he begins the investigation he is in constant danger. He is unaware of the political and ideological importance of the death of this Russian brother. The police, the federal government, the Catholic Church, and many at the university warn him to drop his investigation. Only Cardinal Sean Cronin thinks Blackie should be involved in this case, and even he begins to wonder. Bishop Blackie learns the warnings were warranted.
The major characters are well drawn and three dimensional. Blackie provides his customary witty repartee and consults his usual colorful colleagues. The portraits of the scenes are clear and artistically described.

In this book we are introduced to two delightful characters from the university, Professor David Dolan and Dean Dorina Keene. Dolan is in love with Keene, who is the dean of his school. It is obvious to the reader that she loves him as well, but it takes the Bishop artfully playing cupid to put their relationship on course. Both lovers are cautious about matters of love. He is clueless about how to court a woman. She is reluctant to make the final move and push him. Blackie suggests to her that pressing the relationship is the female's role. Part of the fun of this story is waiting for David to actually propose (traditionally) to Dorie.

Read this book, it is a great mystery and a good love story.

It is difficult to write a mystery with a setting in academia without reverting to deadly stereotypes when campuses are their natural habitat. Andrew Greeley almost makes it with THE BISHOP GOES TO THE UNIVERSITY, but even his many skills fall short. A murder Russian priest who was teaching at the University of Chicago may have left trails to reach to the Vatican. Four people were in the building when the priest was shot, innocent by-standers or a killer in hiding?
Father Blackie Ryan must deal with the police, agents from many counties and a romance that doesn't fit in this story. Somewhere in the mystery it just doesn't work. I'm not sure I can locate the flaw, but Blackie's wit and charm will keep his fans reading while waiting for the next installment.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

I have always looked forward to the Blackie Ryan books but I had a hard time getting through this one. The back story of the monk/priest/cardinal was just too convoluted and unbelievable, especially as it was inserted into the middle of the book as the priest's journal. By the time I was done with the "journal" I had a hard time remembering who the present-day characters were. And I never did understand why this was such a big deal that people were shot at and killed over it.

Finally - I found the continuous involvement of characters from the "Beggar Girl of Ste. Germaine" annoying and unnecessary - just an advertisement to get people to read the earlier book.

Having read and liked all the previous Father Blackie mysteries, I eagerly began this latest one and had a problem getting through it. It's not easy to say exactly why or where this sagged. It could be that the details of the romance of the professors got in the way of the murder story. That should never happen, especially when the love affair does not envolve the hero and when the romance has nothing whatsoever to do with the main plot. In this case, the love story was gratuitous. It's as if the writer said, "Editors insist on a love affair, so I'll stick this one in and make the editors happy."

The book does start to move when we begin to learn the background of the murdered monk, but it isn't enough to save this from being considered the least of the Father Blackie series. In truth, Father Blackie has little to do with unraveling the mystery. It just sort of happens. The monk's diary appears. People step forward with clues. And suddenly the book is finished.

I do hope for better things from Blackie. He's a nice man. Arguably....

Father Andrew Greeley once had a powerful impact on pubishing with his saucy novels. In recent years that has declined somewhat. However, he continues to write and his body of work expands yearly.

This book shows the ongoing adventures of "Blackie" Ryan, a Priest/Detective who is the star of the mystery novels written by Father Andrew Greeley. "Blackie" actually sprang from Father Greeley's earlier books when he appeared as a beloved sleuth/cleric who helped settle mysteries that baffled others. Eventually, "Blackie" gained his own series of books which brings us to the current one.

This is a fun look at the world of Priest/Sleuth "Blackie" Ryan as he solves the murder of a monk on the University of Chicago campus. All the usual Greeley touches are here--descriptions of the life of a priest and how he relates to the congregation, the world of the rectory, the interrelation of the Catholic hierarchy with each other, the locked room murder and all the typical aspects of a "Blackie" Ryan mystery are here.

Yet, I can't help think that Father Greeley needs to energize the "Blackie" Ryan series. This is a great series that appears to be going through the motions. Yes, this is a good book but one suspects that it can be much better. Father Greeley is coasting a bit and it shows. The kicker is that he still has the ability to write a great mystery and the charactars to do so. He needs to refocus and do just that.

I'd suggest he get a very strong charactar, Cardinal Sean Cronin, to become more involved in the stories. This charactar has been reduced to a minor role in his books and the series has suffered. I'd also suggest the charactar Mike Casey be involved more as he too is interesting. Father "Blackie" needs to get more involved in solving a crime related to the Catholic church which Father Greeley knows well and can weave many fascinating aspects to in his stories that actually get you thinking about this faith.

To some extent, Father Greeley has strayed from writing about the Catholic Church to focusing on academia and it makes for a less interesting novel.

In short, this is a good book by a good author who has gotten into a rut so to speak. One hopes Father Greeley can rediscover the magic he once had and get "Blackie" Ryan back into some more interesting and rich adventures.

goethe's morbid tale of a man madly in love is purely emotional and beautifully unrestricted. some call it over-exaggeration but when reading the book one must understand when goethe wrote it he wasn't trying to be subtle. the book, written in the form of werther's letters to wilhelm, already gives the reader a personal front. what werther thinks and does eventually, and how goethe writes it, is the strongest reason for this book's attractiveness. this is deep reading best for those who want to uncover a darker side to the human heart and mind

I am looking for the best translation of this novel for my students. This translation of Catherine Hutter is utterly incompetent. Example: "I have spoken to my aunt and must say that I didn't find her to be the dreadful vehement woman with the kindest of hearts." The German reads: "Ich habe meine Tante gesprochen und bei weitem das boese Weib nicht gefundet, das man bei uns aus ihr macht. Sie ist eine muntere, heftige Frau von dem besten Herzen" = "I have spoken to my aunt and found her to be not at all the dreadful woman she is made out to be among us. She is a cheerful, energetic woman with the best of hearts."

I may have been unfair in my previous review. The foul-up I highlighted may be the printer's rather than the translator's fault. Anyway, a prose writer of Goethe's elegance deserves better.

Currently I'm taking a class in German, as is being taught by a professor from Germany. When pressed on what sorts of things might be a good read from the German catalogue, she pointed me towards the likes of Thomas Mann.

Fortunately for me I'm bad with names. I went to the bookstore in search of something to read (because I would like to know more about Germany) but I couldn't remember any of the authors she told me to check out. The only name I could remember was Goethe and his only work that I was familiar with was, of course, Faust. One more happy circumstance (that they were out of that story) put me in possession of this edition of 'Werther'. Again, I am a fortunate man.

This is a terrific little book. I am told that it caused a storm of praise and a sort of cult following upon its publication (even a few suicides) and I find that I can truly believe that. It tells the story of unrequited love, of a man who meets a woman who fills all the holes in his heart and life, yet remains estranged from him. The emotions that Werther goes through in pining for his Lotte are real, for they are the same emotions that every other human being has had in shaking anticipation of seeing their 'crush'.

As you read through the short work, you find yourself feeling the initial highs that Werther goes through. Without saying it so succinctly, Werther begins to see green for green and blue for blue for the first time, all augmented by his new appreciation for life through the filter of his beloved. As the story progresses, the emotions grow darker and more foreboding. You can feel the onset of defeat, the slow torture of knowing that even if Lotte became his, his whole life would never be the same for it because the moment of ripeness for the relationship has come and passed. You can feel Werther's non-acceptance of his situation...it lies inside all of our hearts.

The other short pieces in the book are tantalizing tidbits as well. 'The New Melusina' is a quaint tale of a typical man who cannot commit himself to anything but Bacchus. 'The Fairy Tale' reminded me somewhat of a CS Lewis work. The non-fiction pieces are insightful into the way Goethe's mind worked although I found myself wondering if maybe he wasn't trying to tell a tale about his own life in the Sesenheim recounting; it sounded more like wishful thinking than anything else, though I think a historian (or a few minutes research in a library) might settle the matter (sorry- didn't have time to do that for this review).

Bottom line: Buy this book and give it a read. It bears the word 'classic' on the back of it with more justification than some of the other books in that milieu.

-NL

When I found this book on the reading list for my European literature class, and once I'd read a synopsis of the story, I wasn't expecting to like it much. And initially I was a little put off by the protagonist's melodramatic way of expressing himself, but by the time I'd finished the book, my opinion had changed drastically. I don't usually go in for tragedies, but this one is somehow different. "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is the tale of a young man, Werther, who seeks a new life by moving to a pretty country town and immersing himself in the beauties of nature. Once there, however, he meets and falls in love with Lotte, a young woman who happens to be already engaged to another man. Werther initially befriends the couple, but as the tension in this hopeless love triangle increases, so does Werther's depression deepen.

The story is told mainly in the form of a series of letters written by Werther to a close friend, William, whom we never actually meet, and occasionally a few other individuals, including Lotte. Each letter is dated and we see the progression and deterioration of Werther's mental state from infatuation, to love, and then to destructive obsession and despair. Toward the end of the book, shortly before Werther's depression finally drives him to take his own life, the narrative style abruptly switches to third person, allowing us for the first time to see the thoughts and emotions of other characters without having them first filtered through Werther's unreliable perception. And the viewpoints of those around Werther give us critical insight into the manifestations of his mental state.

Over the years this book has sparked much concern as to whether it advocates suicide in cases of unrequited love. And indeed there have been cases where individuals were motivated to take their own lives after reading this story. However, those who draw such a message from "The Sorrows of Young Werther" are, I believe, misinterpreting the work. Though the protagonist does indeed commit suicide, his act is not glorified (just look at the pitiful way in which his death is described) and nowhere does Goethe make any commentary on whether suicide is right or wrong in such a situation. In fact, I didn't find anything judgmental in the book at all. Rather, Goethe simply explores the human heart and emotions, presents his findings, and leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Despite being a first novel for Goethe, "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is beautifully written. I cannot compare this particular translation (1962 Signet Classics printing, translated by Catherine Hutter) to the original German text, but even in translation it is clear that Goethe had a powerful command of the written word. And it is quite plausible to believe that the depth and intensity of emotions expressed in the work are a result of Goethe's own experiences with unsuccessful romances. This particular edition also contains an interesting piece entitled "Goethe in Sesenheim" in which he relates one such relationship and in which we can identify many parallels with Werther's story.

This Signet Classics edition also includes two other short stories - "The New Melusina" and "The Fairy Tale." Neither one is, in my opinion, as good as "The Sorrows of Young Werther," but they are interesting to read nonetheless. Both contain the theme of love, making the book as a whole into a nice exploration of this particular emotion. "The Fairy Tale" is a rather strange and rambling tale, the plot of which is difficult to pin down and identify, and I could either take it or leave it. "The New Melusina" is my favorite of the two, and is told from the perspective of a traveling gentleman who enters a relationship with an alluring but mysterious woman he meets at an inn. He later discovers that she is a pixie, and must then choose between joining his love in her own world, or losing her forever.

"The Sorrows of Young Werther," as well as the other pieces in this edition, really does give us a lot to think about. Goethe's insights into human emotion are right on the mark, and he expresses them in haunting and moving language. While many modern readers will balk at Werther's extreme romanticism, it is really only his outward expression of emotion that is so alien to us. Once you get past this and delve into the actual feelings beneath, most readers will realize that they can identify with Werther in many ways. Nearly all of us has been in a similar romantic situation, longing for someone we will never have, and Goethe offers a wealth of material for us to contemplate in analyzing our own emotions. Any thoughtful reader will find much to appreciate here.

I used this textbook for one of my graduate level finance classes, and I just loved the book! It's very well-written, and covers all the basic premises of finance (PV, FV, etc), and then goes on to more advanced stuff (Equity and Fixed Income Valuation, etc). The textbook requires some knowledge of accounting for more advanced topics. Overall, I found the book easy-to-read and easy-to-follow. I found the book useful for the CFA Level I exam preparation, as it gives in-breadth explanation of major concepts.

It explains everything clearly. I have another finance book with the same type of content but this one is definitely easier to understand. Recommend it.

Amazon shipped me a $30 book in place of this textbook. Nice trick, I hope I don't have problem receiving a refund. I needed this textbook for class, now I have to shop somewhere else. Great job Amazon, count me as a former customer.

This text is written for an audience with a solid grasp of economic theory and finance. The chapters build on the vocabulary of the one preceeding it but also assumes the reader is fluent in the terminology and it's use. While answers are supplied to self test problems how to arrive at those answers is not provided. The test bank exams require absolute grasp of all variations of the problems and multiple choice answers includ likely results wich are wrong, so selecting between the correct answer and other answers which would result from common error such as a mis-set financial calculator, are provided.

For those who are interested in getting knowledge in finance, this is an excellent source. Besides a friendly theory explanation, all chapters bring a list of exercises to set the most important points covered in each one. I do recommend it.