Oregon Books

From the moment I opened this book, I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. She gives her characters such depth and writes about real tragedies and situations that we can all relate to while at the same time making us laugh out loud. I am anxiously waiting to see if she will write a 3rd book because I absolutely loved the first two.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. We passed this book where I work and everyone loved it. The Characters become your friends and some like family. Can't wait to read "The Last Time I Was Me". I have it on order. I highly recommend this one.

This book was a total waste of money. It is not well written, and the story line so boring I couldn't finish this book. I gave it 90 pages and then gave up. If you read at a college level and love good writing pass this one up for something more stimulating and believable.

A bit vulgar in places for me, but nonetheless an interesting book. I laughed out loud in places, cringed in others. The author described terrible abuse of many different kinds that had been inflicted on most of the main characters. Although those sections were so difficult to read, the characters' personal triumphs were uplifting.

I really wanted to like this book. I just could not get past the silliness. I cannot imagine a bunch of women sitting around looking at each others breasts and "other" areas. I did like some of the characters, but the silliness ruined it for me.

Pain Management is touching and inspirational. Out of one of the grimmest parts of society, goodness blossoms in an effort to save people from deadly pain. Burke is his endearing self, as always. I recommend the novel as heartily as Andrew Vachss' other books which are also excellent.

I think that _Blue Belle_ was the first Vachss novel that I tried, and after reading that I ripped through his subsequent novels with a sense of discovery and pleasure. To be honest, I lost that interest and amazement a number of books ago. While the first book set in Oregon gave me a glimmer of new hope, this book really isn't there either.

A lot of the problem is that what made Burke so interesting in the first few books was the very real tension between light and dark in the character. He was constantly in balance, and the nastiness made for a really refreshing read after all the weaker characters that you find in detective novels today. Unfortunately, Burke has been around too long, and he's just too much a defender to really believe in the Dark Knight anymore. He's taken on too many good causes and acted too much as protector of the helpless. Good thing in a person, less good if you want to keep the tension of someone strung between good and evil. I'm sure that the continuing novels serve Vachss' not-so-hidden agenda of educating his audience, but they just aren't as interesting to read at this point.

I'm a little troubled with myself for writing this kind of review, as I recognize that there are larger issues with these books than a good escapist read. I applaud Vacchs' determination in the work he does for children and I think he's chosen a nearly ideal vehicle for getting his messages out.

I just wish that I had the same compulsion to read Burke novels as I did with the first.

Anyways, this book (Burke tries to ignore his problematic relationship with Gem, while taking on the case of a 16-year old runaway) is well-written and will probably appeal. Still worth a read, in any case.

Let me tell you - when Burke first lit out for Oregon, I was kind of disappointed. NYC has become such a character in the previous novels, I incorrectly assumed Portland would be a snoozer (I know, I'm such an East Coast-er). Boy was I wrong!

In "Pain Management" Burke is hired to track down a missing 16-year-old. His always on-target instinct tells him that there is something not quite right with the girl's family, and things just go to town from there. Burke manages to come across all types of underbelly characters, and Vachss is able to portray his experiences without making them sound too spy-novel.

Add to the mix a pharmaceutical drug plotline, lots of violence, sex, and a healthy serving of blues and doo-wop, and you've got yet another Vachss masterpiece.

As good as this book is - I really miss Burke's family back in NYC. I've got the next book sitting right here waiting for me, and I can't get to it fast enough.

Andrew Vachss has to be an interesting individual. You get the idea that Burke, the main character in his novels, is a somewhat nastier version of himself. Burke is a shadowy figure, with only one name (only one was given when he was an orphan) and a mysterious, cloudy, bitter view of the world. He works around the edges of things, making money on the black market, specializing in being untraceable and invisible, or almost. He is almost completely uninterested in the fate of people he doesn't know, and for the most part he's pretty cold. He has a real hatred for criminals who exploit children.

In this outing, he's gone to ground in Portland Oregon. This is a departure for Vachss, who's set almost all of his books in New York City. He bounces around town, establishing a "rep" so that someone can hire him to do something. Eventually a troubled father contacts him, looking for his daughter. Burke agrees to look, and does so with his usual disregard for rules, animosity towards authority figures, and dark, mysterious methods. When he finds the girl, the answers are not at all what you were expecting, satisfying though they are. There's a whole interlude where Burke helps a woman who steals drugs for the chronically ill, and it's from this side-plot that the book gets its title.

I liked the story, about as much as I usually do with Vachss. Everything's very dark (I don't think I could read two of these in a row without contemplating suicide) and murky, and the structure of the book is strange, too. For those who aren't familiar, Vachss has veered between numbering his chapters and not bothering. They're anywhere between a couple of lines and a page or two of text, very short, very choppy. The author seems to just only write part of the story, several lines of dialog, and expect the reader to fill in the rest.

Given that, this is a good book.

Burke is laying low in Oregon. He's not in his element (New York), and this affects "Pain Management" as it affected "Down in The Zero." For me, a Burke story works best when the villain inspires a gut-deep flash of pure HATRED. I didn't get that fix this time. Also, just the words "New York" carry a seediness integral to the mood of Vachss' work.

Under an alias, Burke agrees to locate a well-heeled hippie's daughter. Things about her disappearance don't add up, and Burke encounters some locals who may or may not help him. They also may or may not be milking him for their own cause - getting pain meds to those in greatest need despite America's short-sighted treatment policies. These two plotlines never really merge. The daughter's family bears a secret that caused her to take off, but it's...well, a more "esoteric" reason than molestation. On the plus side, Vachss offers some intelligent, sympathetic young characters. He reminds us that everyone has the potential to be both Cain AND Abel.

Burke's usual anger and vigilance fall short of his melancholy. Things with Gem are decaying, and this almost becomes a distraction from the plot. His woman troubles don't end there; Ann O. Dyne is the most annoying girl Burke has dealt with since Fancy ("Down in The Zero") or Nadine ("Choice of Evil"). She's not stupid, just annoying. Flood, Blossom and Belle are still the top-tier Burkettes.

Vachss' effort to broaden the scope of issues in Burke novels is commendable. However, it doesn't play to Burke's strengths. Baby Boy Burke is a conman first and a killer first-and-a-half. "Pain Management," while thought-provoking, didn't hit me as hard as earlier works. Burke has the blues six feet deep, and the only effective remedy is to get back to New York and take it out on the lowest of the low. With "Only Child," I hope to see How Burke Got His Groove Back.

If you like Chuck Palahniuk and have been to Portland, you will love this book.

Okay, so it doesn't start off with a story about some kind of crazy sextravaganza out in middle America like his other nonfiction, "Stranger Than Fiction," but Chuck Palahniuk's "Fugitives and Refugees" still contains its share of interesting and absurd bedtime stories. For instance, there's the tunnel tour where woman throws a simulated aborted fetus at you, there's the elephants who bully each other, and there's even a potential suitor who left "DNA samples" on the couch during a first date. So, I guess what I'm saying is, it's still a pretty good book.

Nonetheless, it is a bit disjointed. The basic idea is you're going along on a walking tour of Portland, Oregon with one of the local residents (Palahniuk), and he's telling you all the weird, funny and gruesome stories of Portland's undocumented past. In that respect it can be a lot of fun, but like any tour, there were definitely parts that dragged and were kind of boring. For instance, while some of the museums he describes might be interesting to see in real life, it'd be difficult for even Shakespeare to describe them in any way that's remotely interesting.

Palahniuk's simplistically scant writing style shines through and keeps the pace going throughout, and there are plenty of bizarre occurrences he documents that make the tedious descriptions of things I didn't care about go by much more quickly. A showdown between a row of riot police and a row of Santas, for example, will definitely make you forget you just read 10 pages of recipes.

And that's all we can really hope for from life, isn't it? That something fascinating like a scholarship fund created by drag queens will overshadow any boring parts of "real life" that you don't need to remember. So thanks for the help with that, Chuck.

I was given this book as a gift and did not know what to expect. Though it was not a novel like other Palahniuk books I have read, I found that the quirky and humorous writing style made this voyeuristic romp through underground Portland highly entertaining. Though some of the highlighted attractions have closed their doors or are not open to the public, this is an interesting view into a side of the city that you will not find in the Frommer's guide.

I live in Eugene, OR... and LOVE this book! We take "trips" to our fave town all the time and love the people and places...Chuck does a great job of describing them like a native Oregonian (even though he technically isn't).

This collection is an idiosyncratic and appealing mix of off-the-beaten-path sights for the visitor to Portland, personal anecdotes of the author, and brief essays about the history of Portland and its defining vibes. Entertaining and enjoyable.

I read this book when it was first released and it still sticks with me. The best aspect of the book is the interweaving of the author's personal story and that of the man who supposedly killed his family then fled the country. When he was caught, he was using Michael Finkel's name and identity at a Mexico resort area living the good life.

Imagine getting a call to find out someone was using your identity -- and that person was suspected of murdering his family. Wouldn't you be compelled to find out why?

The author is looking for redemption from his own journalistic mistakes by finding and writing the truth of a news-worthy event. Other reviewers found Finkel to be self-serving but I'd have to disagree with that. He was PART of the story itself because the suspected murderer identified with him enough to use his identity. Gradually, that identification allowed him to open up to Finkel through the taped conversations. If they had not shared that link, there would be no story.

Maybe readers of murder mystery are accustomed to having an "aha moment" when the crime is solved and all the pieces of the puzzle are revealed. This book reveals more of the main characters' inner selves without having a tidy ending. I love ambiguous endings.

Well worth a few intense nights of reading.

There were times throughout this CD when I wanted to just turn it off, but somehow I made it through. The events depicted are well worth knowing about, and Mr. Finkel can ply the skills of his trade when he wants to. The research and facts are all done quite well.

But long before the story was finished, I had complete understanding of why the author had gotten in trouble at the NY Times. He can't see past his own shiny self-image. The same ego that caused a talented young reporter to throw his career away while attempting to make a name for himself is the driver of the hubris that bloats this book. We know he's being taken in by a lifelong con artist ages before he can admit it to himself.

The author tried to build up suspense that would lead to a moment of truth at the climax of the story, but just like his fabricated articles for the newspaper, there was no truth to be told. We know not to trust a habitual liar, but apparently another habitual liar doesn't. I would get so frustrated with his naiveté while driving in my car listening that I'd yell at Finkel as if he was a pedestrian stopped in the middle of the street before me, trying to decide whether to continue crossing the road or head back to the curb he just came from!

Despite the unique nature of this bizarre tale I can't recommend the book. I'm all for author involvement ala Ira Glass' "The New Kings of Nonfiction", but in this case you'd be better off reading someone else's coverage of the same material.

A thoughtful, well written description of a horrendous crime that explores the psyche of the killer; the author's growing understanding of the killer's psyche as he gets to know him; and the author's own travails while all this is going on.

Back in December 2001, a heinous act occured along the Oregon coast that would forever alter the lives of the people involved with it. Christian Longo, newly relocated to the area a few months back, savagely took the lives of the people closest to him, and then fled the country. The shock and horror of the crimes reverberated strongly through the community and the state. While in Mexico, Longo assumed the identity of disgraced NY Times reporter Michael Finkel. Thus, this unusual pairing of these two men was born, and the end result, this quite unusual recounting of the Longo murders in "True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa".

Michael Finkel was once top of his game, reporting on serious stories with serious implications. However, due to frabrications made in an "child slavery" story, he quickly fell from grace, retreating to his life in Montana. No sooner than that happened, his phone rang, and a reporter calling from the Oregonian fills him in on the Longo story. Having nothing better to do with his time, Finkel contacts the now-captured Longo, who responds, creating a very strange, symbiotic relationship during the time Longo was awaiting trial for the murders.

This whole book is quite amazing. From Finkel's complete, honest confession to his fabrications, to the letters that Longo writes to him, the story is quite the page turner. Finkel's writing style is uncluttered and easy to read. He builds his story well, from the introduction to the final, horrifying conclusion. Finkel's honesty is compelling; he cuts himself no slack for his fabrication. You must forgive him for his mistakes, and hopefully, he'll find himself back to writing.

This story is chilling, in so many aspects. Longo, a merciless killer, sits on Oregon's death row, living with his crimes. You wonder how he does, but after reading Finkel's book, which provides an unusual insight into the distorted mind of a killer, more light is shed on this subject. In short, it's a great read.

This book is about a murderer's theft of the author's identity to help him escape police apprehension. The author makes much of this fact,seeing himself as a victim, but an account I read of the actual murders has no mention of the author, nor does it need any for the purpose of telling its story.

Nor is the author a very sympathetic character, having announced at the beginning of the book that he has been fired for fictionalizing a news story for the New York Times. (a practice becoming more and more popular, it seems)

My main complaint, however, is that the book is just not that interesting unless you're fascinated by the inner workings of a journalist's mind.

I was interested in the setting but the telling was a bit pedantic and did not fire my imagination.

This is prose at its most exquisite. It is a first-hand look at the American wilderness over 150 years ago, no easy thing to attempt. Yet Karen Fisher does it brilliantly. I am awed at the language, not only its poetry, but its historic accuracy. People didn't use the same speech patterns then as they do today, so yes, at times you have to slow down and think about a passage. But that should not be mistaken for bad style. It is not. The romantic attraction between the two characters pulls the narrative forward, and couldn't be more subtle or honestly rendered. Indeed, I found myself continuously flipping back to the dust jacket to gawk in awe at the author's photo. Who is this person? Where did she get such wisdom and insight? The only problem with this staggeringly impressive book is that it eventually comes to an end.

A friend gave me a copy of A SUDDEN COUNTRY, thinking I'd like it because Karen Fisher and her characters are rough and tumble wilderness types, much like the modern women in my recent anthology, A MILE IN HER BOOTS. But as it turns out, I am writing my first ever book review because I found many more acres of common ground in this novel than I imagined. With brazen honesty, Fisher explores raw, gut-level intricacies of humanity--and of my own experience as mother, wife, wanderer--with such skillfully terse poetry that I was reminded why good fiction is worth reading. She takes hold of words and reins them in, wielding them with unsentimental precision, molding them with a sculptor's hand, so that you see, smell, and taste them, rubbing the grit of the story between your fingers as you read it.

The rangy, rugged backdrop of untamed America lured me from the cushions of my couch back to wilder times, when the savage beauty of mere survival was a person's daily toil. I suspect, on some level, many of us hunger for that kind of crude simplicity. I know I do. And, as I read, I got to thinking that although the landscapes on which our lives play out may differ, our condition is pretty much the same in any era. Fleeting moments of intense emotion roar, flicker, and inevitably wash cool in the current of time. Events so significant, so all-consuming, in the present moment are rendered memory across miles of unsympathetic terrain. Passions blur, tears run dry. And yet, throughout the journey, we find ourselves evolving the way Fisher's characters do, pushing onward, accumulating dark and delicate scars that remind us of who we have become.

History, wilderness, romance, drama, fiber - A SUDDEN COUNTRY has it all. I highly recommend it.

A close friend recommended "A Sudden Country" to me. Otherwise, I doubt that I'd have stuck to it, with its frustrating plot lines and irritating written style. I get tired of authors using sentence fragments as a way of creating immediacy or flow. At times it seemed that half of the sentences began with "Then," followed by no subject: "Then searched her mind for him," or something similar. It makes for choppy reading.
Most interesting were the passages describing the immigrants' travails and travels. Less so were the romantic passages. The conclusion jumps back and forth from Lucy Mitchell to James McLaren even more than the rest of the novel does and forced me, a very experienced reader, to reread passages to understand the events being described. At that point, though, what I wanted was to find out what was going to happen, not spend time excavating my way through fragmented prose and a convoluted story line.
I do, however, have to give credit to Fisher for not taking the easy way out with the conclusion. It's not easy to read so long, only to have an unhappy ending, but it is a satisfactory one.

Growing up where the Oregon Trail ruts cut through western Nebraska, its story was familiar in a vague, serene way. Through Lucy, James MacLaren and the other characters of "A Sudden Country," my heart is now forever gripped with the pathos of that trail. Karen Fischer weaves the broken strands of native people, mountain men,and the Anglo families leaving their known world, so that the fabric of our country's culture today is revealed. All the characters in A Sudden Country are our ancestors..they are part of what makes us all Americans today.

Catherine Anderson rarely disappoints. I have read most, but not all of her books, and Seventh Heaven is a winner. Anderson is skilled in delivering strong, well fleshed out characters and romance in spades without dropping the ball. I love the unshakeable bond between Joe and Marilee. Their friendship, dedication and devotion to one another is heartwarming. One other thing I adore about Anderson is that she paints realistic characters on her canvases. Particularly the women. Women who don't forever fall into the delicate, helpless, perfect little cookie cutter mold. Her women are often strong and physically and emotionally flawed, which the average woman WANTS in their story. At least I do. Who wants to read about someone who makes THEM feel frumpy and undesirable? lol As a woman who suffers from panic attacks, I understood the character of Marilee all too well. I applaud Catherine Anderson for tackling REAL issues such as date rape, anxiety, paralysis and blindness. Issues that are so much more realistic and relevant than simply putting two obscure characters together where they bicker..they clash..they have hot, meaningless sex and they live happily ever after. Puh-leeze!!

When Joe Lakota returns to his hometown, he returns much wiser than he was in high school. Can he rekindle his relationship with Marilee Nelson? Not if Marilee has anything to say about it.

Can Marilee get over a painful past with the healing love of her high school love? Or does healing come in the form of a little boy who desperately needs love?

A tear jerker that will keep you turning the pages.

I absolutely loved this book. The relationship between Joe and Marilee was so amazing. There is a good message in this book for all women. Joe Lakota is the kind of man we should aspire to have love us and we should not settle for anything less. Thank you Catharine Anderson for always writing the leading men in your books who are standup guys who love and respect women!!!! and others!!!!!!

Though I would consider this book a "light read," it is however a compelling story. Anderson is good with character development and telling a story. She's pretty good at giving her main women characters some backbone.... they aren't swooning all over the pages as in some examples of this genre. A nice story about the bonds of family, love and the challenge of renewal.

I read this book about five years ago. I've never forgotten this unforgettable Avon romance. Every contemporary romance I read is compared to this memorable book. Catherine Anderson always writes memorable romance novels, but this one is truly five stars. All her books are filled with characters that you'll remember for ever. The characters in this book have stuck with me because the relationship between Joe Lakota and Marilee Nelson happens to be very similar to my relationship with my significant other.

Marilee Nelson is haunted by a deadly, grotesque event in her life that threatens her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Joe Lakota, who has just returned to his hometown. Ms. Nelson doesn't feel the need to rekindle her relationship with a man who left her after their graduation from high school. She wants to continue on with life as it is with no man in her bed.

Joe Lakota doesn't understand why Marilee doesn't want to rekindle their magic love for each other. He is offering not only himself, but his son, Zachary. Joe can't figure out why Marilee can't trust or be around him by herself. Has something truly unbearable happened to the love of his life? Or does she just want to let go of the past and move on? Only through Zachary can they become a family.

This novel will leave you stunned as to what has happened in the past and what will happen in the here and now. You'll feel for all three captivating characters. You'll be left with a stunned feeling once you've read the entire book. Don't miss reading this wonderful heartwarming romance.

This book has a lot of practical information and advice for people who think that Island living is as simple as just moving there. The author suggests many ways to make the move easier, cheaper and less stressful. He stresses the importance of assimilating to the island culture, rather than bringing mainland sensibilities with you. The author has a blog which is a great forum to share ideas and ask specific questions. Read this book and learn what it means to "Live Aloha"

This is a wonderful book if you're planning to move to the Big Island of Hawaii. It breaks it down in an easy to follow way. Plain spoken and unbiased (although the author clearly loves the island). Lots of practical advise but if you're planning on moving to another island in Hawaii this might not be for you.

This is must have for anyone considering relocating to Hawaii. Very upfront with pros and cons.

After reading reviews on this site I ordered Affordable Paradise, as well as So You Want to Live in Hawaii by Toni Polancy. I loved Affordable Paradise and highly recommend it. I do suggest purchasing both books and reading them together. Toni Polancy's (So You Want to Live in Hawaii) book is quite pessimistic, right from the opening lines...but it does contain some valuable information. Skip Thomsen's book is my favorite by far. The author also maintains a website where updates are available free of charge.

This book is poorly edited, and looks like it was printed in someone's garage. No less than three different font types throughout the main text. Additionally, the title of this book is deceiving- it should be called, the secrets to an affordable life on "THE BIG ISLAND" of Hawaii. The author says straight up on the second page of this book that this book will not help you if you want to move to Maui or any other Hawaii'an island for that matter. However, from reading the cover, it says nothing about referring to 'Hawaii'' as the Big Island of Hawaii. It just refers to 'Hawaii.' Annoying. Bad on me for not reading further- Amazon recommended this to me when I was purchasing another book on Hawaii, and I fell for it. Not satisfied.

I was recently introduced to Nicole Conn's work andafter reading Claire of the Moon I ordered this one.Two wonderful stories--Paris in the 20's has alwaysfascinated me, and being familiar with the names ofthe writers and expatriates mentioned, made it evenmore appealing to me. The story, though short, couldstand on its own. I found Spencer's story a littledifficult to keep up with chronologically, but astory not to be missed. What has left me perplexed is that I don't know what Conn really meant at theend. Did Spencer go on having conquered her hangupsabout her childhood and, presumably return to Lenaand Mackenzie, or not? I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL WHOENJOY GOOD READING. IT IS ONE THAT YOU WILL READ AGAINAND AGAIN OVER THE YEARS.

I enjoyed the movie Claire of the Moon, but when I read the book I found it to be a bit sophomoric. I am not a fan of "cookie cutter" type novels and She Walks in Beauty would definately fall into that catagory in my opinion. Even if I had mounds of free time I would not spend much of it on this book, it's an extreme let down.

The book is closer to a movie script. It switches off between at least 4 plots. The main story is pretty good but at times it's hard to follow. However, I recommend it even with that because it's not predictible like so many other romance novels that I've read.

If claire of the moon, was not enough self absorbtion for you, the tale of a writer director...using actors like puppets for herself and killing their creativity, this book proves the author writes for herself...contrived...Paris?? Isn't this the director who had an affair with her lead, then lived with her and pretended to be living in Paris in her living room? sHe creates her world in writings and film without allowing others to be themselves as her characters are simply a reflection of herself or a fantasy

It took me a while to read "She Walks in Beauty" but I finally finished it and did not have to struggle. I am not an eager reader or even a literary person, I am a romantic and Ms. Conn can surely make one feel, every bit romantic. This is "A MUST READ BOOK" and I genuinly recommend it to any woman but especially Lesbian types, like myself. This writer is very thorough and detailed in her every paragraph, articulating different issues, in a sensitive way. Whether or not this is Nicole's real life story and or part fiction, she brought me back to my own dysfunctional family and I could realte to all the emotions from it. Drawing me to four different places, through different seasons of life, was an accomplishment and I look very much forward to more spendid works like this.
Thank you,
Carole Markarian

I ordered and read all of her books - they are quick reads, enjoyable, and very entertaining.

A fun light read with a little suspense, a little romance and a main character I can relate to. It was a fast and easy read but I never got bored and was sad to see it end. I'm so glad there are more in the series because I'm looking forward to learning more about Claire Montrose (the main character).

Claire is a hapless young adult wandering through life when she gets the call that a distant aunt has died. She is the last known living relative and must clean out her aunt's trailer. She takes her dim witted boyfriend with her and they find mostly junk. One picture catches Claire's eye and she keeps it. After checking out the picture and taking a last minute whim trip to New York. She quickly has people looking for her and wanting this picture. It seems that the Nazis took it from a family who wants it back. At times this book got lost and Henry threw anything trying to make the book work. Clair job as a vanity plate approver provides a few comical moments and I had funny trying to decipher the acronyms. Sadly this story didn't connect the dots and the solution to the mystery was not supported by the clues woven in the story. I tried this series out since this author also wrote "Learning To Fly" which many refer to her as her breakout novel. I know this author has potential and I will read the next in the series.

Wow! This book had much more substance than I'd imagined when I picked it up. April Henry delivers three areas of expertise - art history, WWII Germany, and working for the License Bureau for the state of Oregon. And somehow, she combines all three to make a very rich novel that made me want to read more of her books and learn more about the artist Vermeer. Any writer who can motivate a reader to look beyond their own words for more deserves an A+ in my book. This debut novel is OUTSTANDING!

This debut novel by April Henry is a fun mystery revolving around 35-year old heroine Claire Montrose, a woman with a boring job, an annoying boyfriend and white trash roots. When her great aunt dies and leaves her a mysterious painting, Claire's life takes a turn for the adventurous, and she is soon faced with a lot of questions and a number of characters, trustworthy and un.

This book is a quick read with an interesting mystery and, centering as it does around the authenticity of an unknown Vermeer painting, Henry relates a lot of interesting art history while keeping the entertainment level high. Details about Portland and New York are enjoyable (though how could she not bring up Powell's Books?), and the characters are three-dimensional.

Well done. I will read other books by this author.

If you are serious about the study of portfolio management, this is the only book for you.

One of the broader and easier to understand text ever published on investment area. If you are serious on the study of investment this is the book you are looking for.

This is an excellent book on Investment Analysis and one of the best books recommended by the CFA Institute for its curriculum.

I commend the authors for providing a solid foundation (chapters 1-9 on the Investment Background and Theory) before moving on to the heart of this book, namely security analysis (stocks, bonds and derivatives).

This book succeeds in teaching material in a variety of ways. Here are some things I appreciated:

1) Chapters begin by providing readers with an overview
2) Terms and concepts are defined
3) Formulas are presented, followed by practical examples
4) Investments are presented in a global perspective
5) Authors help the readers work through the examples by providing calculations
6) "Real world" situations and break-out boxes are used frequently
7) Authors get you think by asking questions beforehand.
8) Excellent chapter end question sets, many with CFA focus

A hidden gem of this book is found with the extensive references to relevant website links. The authors advise you on where to look for additional topical information. A great "value added" feature of this book.

The authors have also written a solutions guide to the chapter end problem set which is tremendously helpful.

What a pleasure it is to read this book - it truly deserves a 5 star rating!!

Actually I searched one volume that fully was written by specialist about Portfolio Managemnet in datail. I'm satisfying with these contents which Investment feature and controling Investment throughout step curriculum is good assistance.
After completing this PM, I may be able to master some portion/aspect of Investment Charactor. I would like to recommend as good reference.

I am enrolled in a masters level quantitative finance program and we use this text for an intro class. I found the portfolio management sections to be pretty good and the bonds and derivatives sections to be pretty weak. Furthermore, the important information in the book does not seem to clearly presented; you really have to dig through the text to get the relevant points. I guess all the important stuff is in the book, it's just hard to find. The book is big on theory and small on practical application. True, there are problems at the end of each chapter, but the chapters often don't provide clear enough explanation of the concepts to solve them adequately.

Overall, it wasn't bad. It just wasn't great either.