New Jersey Books

An evil time causes people and vampires to do evil things. A lot of bad things happen to good people.

I originally came across the novella editon of this book in an anthology called "Vampire Hunters". It was the best story in the book and searched hard and long for the orininal version. A few months later, i saw that they had re-released the book in paperback edition. I bought it right away.

I have read it twice now and i love more every time i read it. Wilson has a nack for writing. His stories are fast paced, action packed and full of well rounded characeters. This story is no exception.

The story while not an original concept was just plain cool. no other way to describe it. A preist, an atheist, a rabbi, and a nun take on the vampire hordes that now control more than half the world, and believe me they do some real damage.

The original novella takes place in a small New Jersery town and is about the afformentioned characters who take back a church that was being used for unholy purposes by the former preist who is now a Vampire liuetenant.
The church is taken back by the humans and then they set their sites on the King of the Vampires in New York City.

They made a really cheesey b-movie about the first part of the story and would really like to see a big budget movie made for the enitre story. There is room for a sequel but i dont think it will be anytime soon. In the meantime go out read this book if your into vampires and action.

This is a well written book and a tribute to the horror genre of vampire literature. Technically sound with a wonderful plot. A little more character development and historical reference and this would have easily been a five star rating. Technicalities aside, this is a scary book. Waring; do not read this book with a longing for falling in love with some poor tortured un-dead soul. To the contrary, this book makes a mockery of such rubbish. Evil, raw, and at times gruesome. Looking for macabre not romance, you found it. Cheers.

They make an unlikely fifth column: a disgraced priest, a bomb-making nun, a cross-wearing rabbi, and a lesbian atheist. But desperate times call for desperate alliances, and these are most certainly desperate times. You see, the undead have pretty much won. They've taken Europe, the Mid East, and most of Asia. They crossed the ocean and turned the US government. They've consolidated their hold on the East Coast and are honing their plans for the rest of the country. The survivors exist in fear and isolation, with no one to rally to. Until Father Joe Cahill decides to take back his old desecrated church and say mass again. Just once.

Publisher's Note:
This full-length novel is over 400 pages long and set in the same world as the F. Paul Wilson novella of the same title that was published by Pulphouse over a decade ago. Lavishly illustrated by Harry O. Morris with dustjacket, endpaper, and interior artwork, and limited to just 448 copies, this Limited Edition won't last long!

From the Author's Note:
"Midnight Mass was born out of my dissatisfaction with the tortured romantic aesthetes who have been passing lately for vampires. Stephen King gave us the real deal in 'Salem's Lot, but what gives since then? I wanted to get back to roots--go retro, if you will--and write about the soulless, merciless, parasitic creatures we all knew and loved."

I like a good book to curl up with after the family has gone to bed. This fit the bill. A good read.

This is an inspiring book for those privileged enough to be able to follow its philosophy. I imagine that for the person who does not need to be concerned with keeping a roof over their head and food on their table for the foreseeable future, this book could be a great help in setting a direction. If you don't need the money NOW, and if you can do what you love for long enough, then maybe money will follow .... but only if what you love to do happens to be something someone else is willing to pay for.

I really enjoy this book and find its premise to be true. Many people settle into jobs they dislike and even hate. Doing what you love brings joys to all areas of your life. Sometimes we're afraid to make the leap into something that we love for monetary reasons, but the payoff is worth it.

This book harps on a persons' upbringing and if there was enough encouragement, enthusiam and confidence given as a child... The author feels based on the manner in which the person was raised is relevant to their success...I kept reading ( painfully ) because I was sure somewhere there would be something relevant to the title. Reading this book was like a therapy session , that I did not request..

I simply loved this book! It motivated me greatly on a daily basis and I couldn't wait to continue reading it. I felt so positive and good about my quest.

Even though it was written a while ago, it still has much relevance today. If you think this is just another career book, you are severely mistaken.

There is so much psychology packed into it, in an accessable language. It truly is "food for thought" and makes you think about what your priorities in life are.

Highly recommended. Feel good factor!

I gave this book two stars not because of the writing, but because the title is misleading. If you're looking for courage to quit your high-paying but soulless job for more soulful work--and maintain your standard of living--this book won't deliver.

Perhaps a better title would be DO WHAT YOU LOVE, THE MONEY WON'T MATTER. That would set a reader's expectations more in line with the book's message. The cases in the book were not monetarily successful. However, they show that if you follow your heart, the money won't matter. The things that money can buy when working a soulless career, such as vacations, clothes, cars, and so on lose their appeal as a reward, because what you DO is the reward. You no longer need what money can buy because you have what money can't buy: love.

You would think that someone who was knighted by the Queen and was an English subject to boot would know exactly how long Queen Victoria reigned for....on the first page of year 1901 he writes that she had reigned for "sixty-one years"...though 1837-1901 does not exactly add up to sixty one years.
I really couldn't get past the glaring errors...this is a real shame or sham when there are so many great historians out there who could be publishing and can't because people like Martin Gilbert are pumping out these editorial nightmares.

This is a lousy 800 page book that could have been a superb 500 page book. The author clearly is in love with the sound of his own voice and writes as if he were speaking to his students at Oxford. This does not work very well in print. The book is full of run-on sentences and tortured grammar of a kind that would net a sophomore at a middling American college a C- on an English paper. Decent editing just to eliminate verbosity would cut this tome down by a third. Gilbert's perspective is excessively Anglo-centric -- his main source seems to have been microfiche of headlines from the London Times for the years covered. And his strict year-by-year structure means that important themes are diced up and impossible to follow. Interestingly, the one time he breaks from this structure to write thematically -- his coverage of World War I -- the book works quite well. Sadly, these few chapters are not enough to justify the pain imposed by the rest of this doorstop.

When I checked this book out at the library the student worker asked what is was about. I said "The history of the 20th century, it's the first of three volumes" and she goes "American History?". I say "No World". She says"It's that small?". I think a lot of people miss the fact that obviously this is not an in depth history of every event and it never was meant to be that. The reason why this series is worthwhile is that it gives you a real overall sense of what was going on year by year. And because of that format it really brings you through the century with the events in context with one another. The reason it focuses so much on the wars and conflicts are that those are what shaped the century! At the end of the chapters he briefly mentions stuff like disasters and inventions which helps to add some overall context without distracting from the main ongoing events. It is very detailed for what it is (a general history) and the many excerpts from speeches, books, and letters really make it much more personal and readable. This isn't a topic that's easy to do well and I can't imagine it being done much better.

I've read the last two volumes first. Now I'm reading this first one and it is awful. Where's the history on the United States or inventions or milestones. All Martin Gilbert talks about here is war overseas. He leaves one small paragraph a chapter for the US and any trivial information. I'm skipping through it faster then any book I've read. Thank god I read the 2 good ones first. I would think there's more history to those years then just the Balkans and Russia.

This book's viewpoint is that of a British Jew, and he spends lots of time on British colonial history, and of course on the first World War. Some of the stuff on the less momentous years was new to me. There are some errors, e.g., on page 788: "...a prolonged drought spreading westward from the Pacific Coast..."! The 1927 account refers to Henry L. Stimson as an ex-Secretary of State, rather than an ex-Secretary of War. (Stimson did not become Secretary of State till 1929.) FDR is said to have been inaugurated March 3, 1933! There is limited attention to social trends, literature, and such. I think a more analytic approach would have been more useful and attention-holding. Much of the 33 and 1/3 years covered is dismal and sad, but we can't blame Gilbert for that. I feel sure I will read Volume II, I am sure.

Cliches abound in Two Guys. And even if they're cliches because they're true, that's no excuse to write a 300 plus page novel about them. Will is whiny, perfectly matched with an equally whiny wife. Joel is stuck on the past and seeing dead people, though much less entertainingly than the little boy in the Sixth Sense. Will gets his comeuppance and Joel, mightily effective in his infrequent sexual activity, gets a life. For his next novel, I would like to see James Kaplan aim his sardonic satirical talents at targets that are a little less broad than the side of a barn. And oh yeah, easy on the brand names next time, too.

I am from Montclair, NJ and Montclair is often mentioned in Two Guys from Verona. This novel is excellent in exposing the inner mechanisms of the suburban home, and challenging the reader to feel the stagnancy of these characters lives. Personally, living next to Verona, everything was extremely vivid, as I have been to all of the settings involved in this novel. I recommened those intrigued by the suburban life to read Two Guys from Verona.

I am from Montclair, NJ and Montclair is often mentioned in Two Guys from Verona. This novel is excellent in exposing the inner mechanisms of the suburban home, and challenging the reader to feel the stagnancy of these characters lives. Personally, living next to Verona, everything was extremely vivid, as I have been to all of the settings involved in this novel. I recommened those intrigued by the suburban life to read Two Guys from Verona.

As a fellow boomer, the characters of "Two Guys" drew me in. The trials and tribulations of the very different yet long-term friends, Joel and Will, are colorful, realistic and oh so painful to someone of the same era.

Kaplan has an indirect, poetic flourish. He notes and vividly describes colors, sounds and smells. These visceral aspects of his style complement and round out the development of characters and scenes. At times the non-linear exposition and delayed description of characters can be frustrating, but it is worth the wait. These are characters worth discovering.

Who hasn't left behind some deep-seated memories, ones you'd just as soon avoid as pursue? What middle-aged male has not looked twice at younger women? And what same male has not anguished over lost hair, an expanded waistline, a looming mortgages, and or spousal distance? Well-worn subjects brought to life by a skilled author.

i grew up in new jersey territory covered by book. found moods and characters evocative and often moving. james kaplan can clearly write--often beautifully and lyrically. he is way too in love with his own voice, however, his description of places and things and people often painfully overdrawn and convoluted. we get it: he knows language. but sometimes a sentence fewer than 10 lines long, with fewer than 6 parentheticals and dashes, isn't a tragedy. it's exhausting reading the sometimes overblown and tediously and needlessly complexly woven sentence structures around secondary and terciary characters and story elements. there were times i wanted to shout, get to the point, say it more simply and clearly. one less adjective please; use 6 adjectives in the sentence instead of 11. this isn't graduate school fiction writing in which you're trying to impress your colleagues and professor.

having said that, kaplan's observations about suburban life--its foibles and flaws and eccentricities--are often sharp and great fun. so are some of the nuances of his core characters. sometimes his references and comments dazzle.

what's not so sharp are some of the critical plot developments and resolutions. too neat and simple and quick. why, for example, wouldn't core character joel have investigated more carefully the disappearance of his beloved girl friend (cindy) years earlier? it makes no sense that he would have waited so long to visit the hospital from which she disappeared just after high school. and why, when "relatively" early in the story he learned that cindy had a local daughter, didn't he jump all over that, and confront the "supposed" very accessible father. joel's life transformation after finally finding and meeting cindy--from borderline schizophrenic and complete screw up to proprietor of a suburban coffee house--is equally implausible. it all happens way too fast and without necessary development.

the ending, and the weaving together of various plot lines, reads too much like a hollow hollywood movie. kaplan clearly can do better than that.

he's created the edges of something very special here. i was hooked; i read much of the book eagerly. i just wish he filled in more of the content with a little less attention to style and a little more to reality--the real shapes and patterns of real human interactions and dynamics.

For goodness' sake, how much evidence do the conspiracy wackos need before they come back to planet Earth? Fisher shows how Hauptmann a) had the money, b) owned the wood that was used to make the ladder, c) owned the nails that were used to make the ladder, d) had a criminal record involving threats on babies and the use of ladders, e) gave up work as soon as the ransom was paid, f) never worked again once the kidnapper was paid his money - and much more. His book (and his original and more comprehensive earlier work) should be a breath of fresh air for the conspiracy theorists. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing will convince them that Bruno Richard Hauptman was a thoroughly evil child murderer.

"The Ghosts of Hopewell: Setting the Record Straight in the Lindbergh Case", Jim Fisher, Southern Illinois Univ. Press 1999, ISBN: 0-8093-2285-4, HC 161 pgs., plus 18 pgs. Notes; 10 pgs. Biblio.; 6 pgs. Index; and 20 B & W Illus.-Photos. 9 1/4" x 6 1/4".

Author Fisher, both law graduate and former FBI agent (albeit but 6 years), writes again after some 18 years of studying the Lindbergh case. He previously authored "The Lindbergh Case" in 1987. This book is divided into 3 sections: I - The Case, II - The Theories, and III - The Evidence.

Above all, Fisher takes on the disbelieve(r)s who profess innocence of Bruno Richard Hauptmann (BRH) in the kidnapping, murder and ransom of baby Lindbergh (Eaglet), Mar. 1, 1932. Fisher underscores in great detail the Hauptmann handwriting found both at the crime scene of kidnapping and later in ransom notes - and cites detailed peculiarities believed conclusively incriminating by virtue of a writing 'tic' or unique agraphia that provided a discrete signature to BRH's written vocabulary. Further details are also proffered on Hauptmann's failed stock market transactions, purchase of ether, etc., financial difficulties by lack of employement, and a past criminal record.

Fisher is distressed by the impetuous publication of defectively researched books beseeching acquittal of BRH and culpability by 'the usual suspects' that embraced hired help, relatives, and he censures that most disturbing 1993 book "Crime of the Century: The Kidnapping Hoax" by Ahlgren and Monier.

Aside from a few unneeded repetitions, i.e. ranson letters, etc. the book's intent is to checkmate (or dispose of) opposing viewpoints and to present new supportive information - and admittedly, it is well written with legal and forensic evidence presentations which must now be balanced by the reader against Ahlgren and Monier's indictment of the father, Colonel Charles Lindbergh, whose alleged prank and subsequent kidnap hoax went awry. With all parties dead, one's beliefs may well reside within the domain of the prevailing or most current best writer of truth and/or fiction, so choose wisely or not at all. I am currently transfixed in a decision-making process akin to game theory.

I read his first book.And knew ,it was full of lies.And his second book is even more treacherous ! This guy is a former FBI agent ?? I could write the real Lindbergh story.Without me writing out a long story here,the author Upton Sinclair and author Sinclair Lewis helped plan the Lindbergh kidnapping.They were concerned that ,Charles Jr.,would run for Jersey governour and later became President.They didn't want a "World War 3".Lindbergh was a Nazi sympathizer,big time.(In 2003,three Bavarian siblings ,exposed their mother's secret love-affair with Charles Sr.They are the products of that 1950s hidden romantic relationship.) The authoress ,Gertrude Stein, with Isodore Fish, may have written the Lindbergh ransome notes.However,that is speculation only.All the major writers of the 1920s,knew about the kidnapping plot.Hemmingway,Fitzgerald,Willa Cather,W.Somerset Maugham,George Orwell,Sherwood Anderson,Edgar Cacye,William Faulkner,etc.,knew about the plot.John Condon was a close associate of David Willentz,and was the real estate agent to Richard Hauptmann.The "Lindbergh Ladder" was of sawyered wood that came from Hauptmann's attic and ultimately from a lumber-yard in South Carolina,with contacts to David Willentz. You do the addition,and go figure . Prime example of a top government conspiracy!
Updated-nov.25.06.-Beware of the History Channel! I taped a day's worth of programmes,and watched this morning.There was a segment on Lindbergh,Edgar Cayce and ESP.The programme claimed that the baby was sadly found in the flower-box,several feet under the nursery window.That is not true.An infant was found one and half miles from the Lindbergh estate,just over the county line and by an orphanage run by David Willentz.

A typical ignorant diatribe to convince the pliable that the state does not make mistakes.

A view of the trial documents by anyone ready for a bar exam would reveal any number of reversable errors, not to mention an inadequate defense. Hauptmann's own words just before his execution are cause for reasonable doubt. It is one thing to claim there is no proof that Hauptmann was innocent, but that goes against the standard of assumption of innocence.

The fact is only Hauptman (and the real killer/killers if any) knew if he was innocent, and the state proved its case only to the jury. I can't imagine anyone the state would have had in that position going free, regardless of guilt or innocence.

To call any question of the acuracy of the verdict in this trial "revisionism" is akin to objecting to the modern day view that the segregation and Jim Crow laws up to the 60's satisfied the current legal process, but were nonetheless morally despicable.

Fisher's first book was clearly a better work. This second book appears to be nothing more than Fisher's response to his many critics. It is very brief with only a thumbnail sketch of the case. I think this would have been better as a magazine article than a full book.

Additionally, Fisher makes some Herculean leaps in logic. The finding of a bottle of Ether produced after the date of the kidnapping, i.e. March 1, 1932, forms the basis of a claim by Fisher that Hauptmann was planning to kidnap again. The leap is just too great.

To his credit, Fisher does debunk many of the great fallacies of this case, especially concerning the ladder and wood evidence. Nevertheless, I think this book was unnecessary and Fisher should have just let his first book do the talking for him.

This book is the story about a brilliant and successful scientist.He wasn't as successful in love.The book did a great job explaining the complicated lives of Dr.Nyce and Michelle his wife.Without giving too much away,I came to sympathize with the both of them.Michelle deserves more sympathy because she was murdered.I afforded some sympathy toward Dr.Nyce because he was betrayed by the woman he loved.The biggest victims are the three children who no longer have their mother.They will forever have to live with the knowledge that their father murdered their mother.

NEVER LEAVE ME did, in fact, make a boring airplane trip pass more quickly but that is ALL the praise I can give. The writing is about the worst I have ever read. Clearly the writer has a poor editor, is his own editor (and doesn't have a command of English grammar) or does not even have an editor. The text is replete with glaring errors, lame descriptions, boring repetition and confused storytelling. I could go on and on. As for the story, it was mostly forgettable for me because the writing was so weak and awkward. As a genre, true crime books are not usually penned by great writers, in my opinion. But this book was just so bad.

I was very disappointed in the writing style I was not able to finish the book got stuck all the time with author talking about what the company was achieving he gave very little time about the wife. In one part of the book it states she is 22 having her first child and in the photos she is getting married and 23 and had not had children before the wedding.Conflicting!!

The book did not flow I felt if he spoke one more time about the company the Dr created I was going to scream.

I won't be buying John Glatts books again I want to be entertained not bored with details that is not necessary.

Once again John Glatt does a great job if you like true crime make sure you read all of John Glatt's book he is a great writer.

This is a tragic story. When it becomes to an affair of the heart one never knows what another will do.

I read all other reviews of this book before I ordered it, but the story (which I was not familiar with) sounded interesting and I am a true crime reader, so I ordered it. I do wonder how well these St. Martin's True Crime Library books are edited. There are typos and some inconsistencies in the details presented by the author, but these are probably "picky" criticisms on my part. I had not read John Glatt prior to this book, but I don't think I'll be seeking out other books of his. I just did not subjectively enjoy his writing style.

Ghetto schooling touches on the failure of inner city schools but especially the failure of the school system in Newark, NJ. She takes a look at the expansive school system from the years 1860- 1997. Her book looks at the failure of school reform but better yet the failure of the city and how it has failed to educate it's minority students through mismangement of money to political partronage that promotes unskilled teachers and adminstrators. She traces the school system as a product of the development of the city. To Jean Anyon, the city has a direct effect on the progress of the school. As she states, "The contours and fortunes of schools in the twentieth centruy have also been intimately linked to the economic transformations of the city--and to federal and state policy as well as to local and national corporate decision making" (156). In stating what she feels is an obvious, Anyon describes the rise and fall of Newark and how fiscal prosperiety directly affected the quality of schooling. She states that through several discriminatory practices by federal and state governments such as redlining, housing segregation, financial disparity between districts and even efforts by corporations to restrict municipal spending and borrowing, education in Newark took a turn for the worst. She also says that the decline in quality of education is aligned with the increase of minorities into the city and the exodus of middle class residents to the suburbs. Anyon does a good job of presenting the historical factors that have influenced education in the city. She also shows how this has occured in other major cities. Another selling pointo f the argurment is that she presents a reform agenda that although expensive does to the root of the "underclass" urban education problem. While in no way belittling the residents of the inner cities she calls for action from these individuals and how their participation in the process strenthens the ties of the community to education. Anyon's book is only the beginning in a long line of cities that are afflicted by the same ailments as Newark, NJ.

Anyon gives us a glimpse into the world of inner city schooling and everything that goes with it. This is an eye opening journey for educators that do not teach in the inner city schools. I do feel that she is way off and don't believe that some of her suggestions would actually work to improve the schools. She has not herself worked as an educator in the inner city schools. So how does she know that what she is reccommending will work?
She does make a good point and that new funding is needed in the schools. It is just a matter of where to get those funds. I do believe that educationing our young children is a responsiblity for all of America, therefore everyone should help in the funding process. I do not think that one soul contributor should be used.

Ghetto Schooling: A Political Economy of Urban Education Reform, is an interesting explanation of the case study done by the author, Jean Anyon. Anyon was a part of the attempted educational reform of the Newark, New Jersey schools in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Although most of her personal contact was with the faculty, staff, administration, parents, and children of the Marcy school, she gives the historical background for the Newark schools system starting in 1860. This history ventures all of the way to the present, which includes her personal experience in the reform process. Although the reform process in which she participated in failed, she did learn a great deal and shared a lot of insight about school reform. Her main point was that reform would not happen until the economic and political systems that surround the schools are transformed, neither would the schools be transformed. (Anyon 13) I found this book to be informative and insightful. Through this reading I have a better understanding of the inner city school setting, and how much help is needed there. Unfortunately, as Anyon point out, money is not the answer. The answer is reform on the larger scale. This book helped me to see this. Additionally, because of my current quest to become a teacher this booked helped me to prepare for some of the obstacles I may face. Although I will probably never teach at a school like those in the Newark district, it is very beneficial to my learning process to see the problem that plague the educational community. I am glad this book was part of my college curriculum.

Since as far back as formal education existed, Newark NJ school district has suffered from numerous problems. In the book Ghetto Schooling - A Political Economy of Urban Educational Reform, Jean Anyon deals with the topic of the Newark school district and what has been done and what should be done in the future. The book begins with her experience of being in the Newark School system (Marcy School) as a member of a group trying to restructure eight schools in this school district. Then she follows up with a chronological break down by era of what went on in the Newark district and around the country. The book begins in the present, goes to the past, and finishes up with how we are supposed to learn from our past.
In the present time, we see schools that are ill equipped, dirty, having unqualified staff, and chaos. These children come from poor homes (if they have a home), with chaotic lives, neglect, abuse, histories of poor helth and chronic health problems, emotional stress, anxiety and anger (Anyon, 1997). If the children are coming from home environments like this, it does not seem that it would take much to make them want to come to school. However, quite a few students that were interviewed did not want to be there. Why? They did not respect the teachers. They thought the teachers were only there for the money or could not find a job anywhere else. One student did not like the abuse inflicted upon the students by the teachers. This section of the book is the one that stands out above all else. The reason being, I cannot believe how these students are handled. What these teachers say and do is uncalled for. This stems from the fact that these teachers do not have the proper training to be a teacher. We are not going to stop this vicious cycle if we do not train these teachers. We learn how to parent from our parents, and how to teach from past teachers, unless otherwise trained. If I did not get anything else out of this book, I do know how not to teach.
I am sure the information presented in this book is all true. It is just hard for me to fathom that a school district was ran this way without little interference from the outside. I know if this were the education my children were getting, I would definitely have something to say about it. I would be at every board meeting, every PTO and PTA meeting, be up at the school during class time, and hold these people accountable as well as my child. I have never been to or worked in a school of this nature. I also hope I never will. If I did though, I would pray that I would be a better, more caring, understanding teacher than the ones presented.
I found this book to be a hard read. It included entirely too many statistics. If I had to come up with my favorite part of the book, it would be part 1. It was real and easier to read. My least favorite part was Chapter 7 - Class, Race, Taxes, and State Educational Reform: 1970-1997. It was cumbersome to say the least. It seemed to have more statistics than any other chapter. If I could change one thing about this book it would be to reduce the amount of numbers included and include more real life situations.
Revisiting Marcy School got my attention again. It almost felt like I was there. I am not sure it is a place I would want to be. I know I would not go at this time in my life. I am not equipped to teach these kids. I sub in a small school district in Illinois and experience none of this. I probably would do more harm to these children than good. On the other hand, it sounds like they just need someone to care for them and let them know they are cared for. It broke my heart to hear what the white teacher had to say. She said,
" These kids have major problems! Incest, drugs, the girls to from boyfriend to boyfriend. You look at them and say `what's the matter,' and they cannot tell you. I have a little boy [in first grade] who's wondering where his mother went. No one knows. No wonder things go in one ear and out the other [when you're trying to teach them]."
Another teacher said,
"We think, `they're only going to sweep floors' - why teach them science?"
And another added,
"When you realize who they [the students] are, you laugh, and you can't take it [teaching] seriously."(Anyon, 1997)
These statements made me want to help these boys and girls. Saying they were only going to sweep floors is such a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even if that is what they are going to do, science may help them someday. If these teachers cannot take teaching seriously, who could? These students need more teaching and caring than the average student does.
Jean Anyon appears to have all the qualifications needed to write a book of this nature. As the books states she has her Ph.D., and is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University. She taught elementary grades in inner city schools in Bedford-Stuyvesant, NY; Philadelphia; and Washington D.C. She is Director of the Institute for Research in Urban Education on the Rutgers-Newark Campus. She has published widely on the relation of social class and race to issues of curriculum, equity, classroom practice, and school reform. This is her first book (Anyon, 1997).
If I were asked if I would recommend this book to someone else, I would definitely respond with a hearty NO! If you are interested in research for this subject, you might find some useful information, with some careful reading. This just was not a book I could not put down. Usually I want to read a book from cover to cover in one sitting. This book seemed to be never ending.

Jean Anyon's book, Ghetto Schooling: A Political Economy of Urban Educational Reform paints a harrowing portrait of the struggles of those who have a role in inner-city schools. It is written in three parts that address the present situation, reflect upon the past, and look to the future, respectively. The book took several years to write due to the level of research involved for the historical content, but the personal account was based on four years of the author's participation in the reform effort in Newark, New Jersey, beginning in 1992. The reform efforts targeted eight schools in the central section of the city. (On a broader note, the historical text of the book points out that the decline of the schools really began in the 1930s.) The book begins by showing the present state of education within the reform district, but then postulates the reasons for this status by looking at the historical foundations of the problems. In the first chapter of part two, Anyon begins the historical breakdown by looking at early situation with educating the children of the many immigrants who came to Newark beginning in the 1860s. Despite early attempts at reform, the seeds had already been planted for the disenfranchisement seen today. The historical context of Anyon's research design shows decade by decade the continual decay of the Newark schools. Reform efforts were suggested, but never truly implemented. After the period of organized crime and municipal scandals had arrived, Anyon notes that:
"Because there was no rescue of the Newark educational system in 1968, it would continue to limp along, and further generations of Newark children-the grandchildren, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the southern rural immigrants-would
join their parents in the ranks of the uneducated and the undereducated. Many would therefore be unable to participate in the economic and political institutions of U.S. society" (p. 127).

This generational cycle of poverty and hopelessness is at the heart of Anyon's determination that changes can only be effective if they consider the sociocultural status and economic plight of those involved. I found the accounts in the book to be a revelation to say the least. I think people like myself who are born and raised outside urban areas live in blissful ignorance as to the true state of education for the thousands trapped in a cycle of poverty and despair. I like that Anyon takes such an honest approach to her research, realizing that to be effective she must be disclose everything she witnessed. The only change I would like to see is the statistical information presented in some type of graph form so that it would be easier to read and interpret. Otherwise, I found the book to be an invaluable read as a future educator. In fact, it has made me think beyond the world of education and to ponder my place among the human race and the responsibility I must take for needs of my fellow man and the generations to come.

Don't usually read mysteries, but this book kept me turning the pages. Excellent read, and the characters jump off the page. Good dialogue. I have read other books by Ms.Wesley, but this is the first time I read one of her books from the Tamara Hayle Mysteries. My interest is piqued. I'll be looking for more from this series.

Both the first and second book to this series was enjoyable.

"Doesn't the devil always get his due?" The purpose of Valerie Wilson Wesley's "Devil's Gonna Get Him", is to keep the reader in suspense and make the reader always want to know what will happen next. This book entertains the reader and keeps the reader in suspense, and makes the reader think about that one question in every good book; "who did it."
"Devil's Gonna Get Him" by Wesley, deals with a private investigator by the name of Tamara Hayle. She takes a job from a wealthy Lincoln Storey to try to find out how his daughter's fiance really is. Well all of a sudden Lincoln is murdered. So now Tamara the Private Investigator is trying to find out who did it. Now the only way to find out who did it is to read it.
The setting is in ritzy parts of New Jersey. The settings make this book in parts a really great book. The parties that are thrown and the places where they are at make the reader wonder why people are being killed.
Language is what really makes this book something to read. It's a very upbeat book for the most part. It's an up down pattern. It does have fulgar words in it but what book doesn't.
In every book characterization is important. In the novel "Devil's Gonna Get Him", there are the characters the reader knows are good and the ones the reader just can't figure out. Tamara Hayle, a Private Investigator, plays a key role in this book. She's always around the scene when a muder happens. So it makes the book even more interesting. Lincoln Storey is a wealthy man and the reader just doesn't know if he is a good character or a bad character. There's so much more that i could tell but I'm going to leave it upu to everyone to find out.
If there isn't a plot in a story basically there really isn't a story. In Valerie Wilson Wesley's "Devil's Gonna Get Him" the plot is very conflicting. Ther are a lot of conflicts such as Tamara Hayle vs. Brandon Pike. Brandon and Tamara were a thing three years ago then they saw each other at a party. The weird thing is, well Tamara has to investigate on Brandon Pike for Lincoln Storey. There are so many other conflicts but the only way to find out is to read the book.
This novel is a keeper. I give it a four. It has a full package. All these things make this book complete. But the only way to find out is to pick this excellent book up and read it!

This is the first mystery that I've read by Valerie Wilson Wesley. I really enjoyed the story very much. The novel seem to pick up toward the end. I was at the edge of my seat trying to figure out the mysteries. I look forward to reading more from this author. Be Blessed.

Long after I've forgotten mysteries based on ornate plots, I still remember the ones based on interesting characters -- and this one by Valerie Wilson Wesley is a pip! In addition to Tamara Haynes' hard-working private investigator, we have a wealthy and philandering street boy made good (Lincoln Storey) and a whole fascinating crew of people who stood to gain from his death under suspicious circumstances: his smooth but untrustworthy wife Daphne; her daughter Alexa from another marriage; Alexa's friend Tasha (who is arrested for murdering him); the restaurateur Tate -- an old family friend of Tamara's; aspiring politician and attorney Stella Pharr; and Brandon Pike, who is squiring Daphne and Alexa around a couple of years after having broken up with Tamara.

Incidentally, the murder weapon is -- peanut butter. Someone laced Storey's bean dip; and Storey was notorious for his allergy to peanuts.

So kick off your shoes, relax, and let Tamara show you what happened.

The Hazards and Mains attempt to survive in the Reconstruction era in this the final book of the North and South Trilogy. Charles Main--the focus of the book--must deal with his status as traitor, as well as the death of his lover and raising his infant son, while he tries to find a place in the American West. Madeleine, Orry's widow, tries to fight racism and provide for the freedmen of her plantation. Meanwhile, Bent and Ashton are still looking for revenge, which is the running theme of the novel. Revenge against the North, against other races, against each other; the horrible feelings of a defeated and broken world. John Jakes concludes his fascinating historical/sociological trilogy with great changes and complications and eventual conclusion for his characters that span almost every aspect of America at the time. Grade: A-

As other reviewers note, this story takes place mostly in the west. Having (unfortunately) read all three books in the trilogy, this one was most disappointing of all. There were long, long passages that were simply too boring to read (particularly Charles' tramping about out west), and I found myself skipping ahead to find parts more interesting (like Ashton's adventures). Jakes' depiction of the Reconstruction Era is downright offensive. He almost completely overlooks the political corruption and scandal of the period in favor of promoting ideals that did not yet exist (and wouldn't for another century). Like all Jakes' novels, this book says more about the author's own agenda than it does about the period he's trying to depict.

So, this book is about the American Civil War??? Then why is there an English Enfield with bayonet on the cover?!?!? The particular model on the cover was adopted in December of 1888, and later improved in 1901. This is a sad error indeed!!! :^P

If you enjoy books that cover the Civil War era, don't miss this exciting Triology. It follows the lives of two families from two different parts of the country. Follow the hardships, heartbreaks, love, and joy of the Mains from South Carolina and the Hazzards from Pennsylvania.
It is a tail of true friends and what tries to tear them apart. It will make you laugh and cry. It gives a clear view of what some of our ancestors probably faced during the war that devided our great nation.

While the novel makes a point to keep up with most of the characters we've come to know, Stanley, Virgilla, George & Constance, Cooper and Judith, and Ashton, the novel focuses mainly on Charles and his new life out West.

The post-war transition of Charles's character by Jakes was done masterfully. The transition of Cooper Main was a little unbelievable given his past.

The long conclusion nicely wrapped up the entire series. Definitely not the best book of the series, but a great story of life after the Civil War.

I really liked this book. It wasn't what I expected. It was really sweet and really kept my interest. It was wordy but that didn't bother me (and it usually does). I'd like to suggest that for a sequel, Peggy travels back to Owen's ship!

I started reading this book coz it sounded interesting, i like time travel books coz they are always fascinating. But this book did not do it for me. i thought Peggy was too much of a contradiction within herself one minute telling Owen he should fight, next minute getting upset when he does stick up for himself, and i thought Owen was a little bit too much, too nice, too trusting, too sweet if i don't like that in a heroine why should i like it in the person who's supposed to the basic hero of the book, it was a simple book, i thought a little too simple it din't particularly have a light feeling to it, instead had a somber feel to it,and instead of leaving me with that fuzzy feeling, i ended up feeling a little sad.

Yes - I found this book amidst a group of Barbara Delinsky novels and mistook it for one in a hurried trip to the bookstore! Now I'm only disappointed that Delaney doesn't have any other novels to her credit yet! I've always steered clear from time travel books (they seem to breach a level of believability at which I typically draw the line) but this was one of those rare don't-want-to-put-downs for me! A gentle, unhurried, sweet romance - and refreshing! Owen, a lovable, shy and utterly bewildered man from the past is easy to embrace as a character. No macho-man persona here; Owen is...sweet; comfortable yet intriguing. The book is done well and realistically (at least as far as rather unrealistic storylines go!) Yes, a bit too much dwelling on her past with the perfect Peter, but not too wordy for me - a professed lover of detail. Overall, a refreshing departure from the typical romance genre, and a heart-warming gentle romance.

I first checked this book out from my town library and loved it. I thought it resembled the movie "A Message in a bottle" but with a happy ending to the story line. I even recommended this book to a librarian and she enjoyed it as well. Now I am going to add it to my extensive library of books to keep. It is definetely a keeper and a good book to pass to friends and family.

The book started off pretty good. I was hooked but she lost me... I thought it got a little wordy. The author takes to much time to discribe what she wore for halloween as a child, for crying out loud. The present time story line is much better with Owen. To much of the past.