Michigan St. University Books

Too often most of the stuff people churn out about the era of the Russian Revolution is long on b.s. and short on facts. It is to often a re-hash of already over used scholarship based on hearsey---very seldom do you come across anything original. Heather Hogan's work is original.

Forging Revolution takes a look at the material basis of the Russian revolution. It looks at the the Russian industrial workers who made the revolution and at their workplaces.

I am hoping that Heather will carry on and do a part two covering 1914 to 1924. Possibly, adding some facts on Russian industrial technology in 1914; which may turn out to have been not as backwards as portrayed by other analysts.

Another thing that I found re-freshing about this book is that has no political axe to grind and one senses no slavophobic viewpoint all too common among authors; just an attempt to get at the facts!

Forging Revolution is serious political/economic/historical analysis!

This work is earthy, easily understood. Translations are timely, accurate and illuminate deeper meanings of Holy Writ, bringing sharper understanding of God's Word. The work of the two authors is worthy of major attention of Bible students today, but not well known or studied. Reading this work has enlightenment found no where else. Work worthy of being tagged "scholarly."

Found this very old book. Title page missing, I do ndt know the author. Chapter 1 begins Sullivan's campaign into the Seneca country. Anyone know this? Sid Mansur, sidmansur@aol.com

This books is great! It contains the basic, traditional prayers, litanies, as well as meditations on the Rosary and the Way of the Cross. A manual for the sick and dying is also included, which I think contains great reflections and direction on tending the dying; also contains helpful treatises on Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, the fruitful preparation and reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. I highly recommend this book as a rare treasure of great value!

Ms Holtzer has lampooned a number of groups - foodies, the moral nannies concerned with everyone's well being, antique buffs, computer nerds and now she takes aim at two more - the UFO crowd and their skeptics. The UFO crowd is easier to criticize with the mythology & now the various factions - illustrated here with great humor. Are aliens friend or foe? Are they gray or blue? What about the deep coverup, the abductions, the implanting of cranial devices, the invasion, etc?

U.M. student reporter Zoe Kaplan sees strange lights in the sky, stops in a parking lot to watch. Suddenly the lights in the lot go out and the UFO vanishes. She writes the story for the weekly university rag and the tale begins. We meet Thomas Stempel, an "anti-historian" professor who is also an expert in ufology, the "science" of UFOs. His enemy, Conrad deLeeuw of the Society for Logical Rationalism, warns that our civilization will collapse unless we rid ourselves of the forces of pseudo-science (despite the fact that modern society is by far the least superstitious in history - go figure). Of course Anneke and her boyfriend, police lieutenant Genesko, get involved, particularly when one of the main characters is found dead. The resolution is vintage Holtzer.

In the mythology that has grown up around unidentified flying objects, Ann Arbor was the place to be in 1966, when a variety of strange lights were spotted in the skies above the University of Michigan. In the days before the Internet, cable television, tabloid news shows, news of the sightings were slow to spread, and the story has taken on a life of its own.

Flash forward to the present day, when summer school student and reporter Zoe Kaplan sees a triangle of lights whizzing through the sky. Her article makes USA Today and sets off a media firestorm that also attracts a wide variety of nut cases, including a paramilitary unit who had seen "Mars Attacks" too many times, a New Ager who channels the alien K-Tel, and a college professor who may or may not have found a way to prove that aliens really exist.

Susan Holtzer captures the madness and, well, silliness that surrounds a story that takes on a life of its own. While there are mysteries to be solved in "The Silly Season," its primary pleasures lay in revealing saucer mythology to those of us who had let our subscriptions lapse to Popular Science (my primary source of UFO information during the 60s) and Fate magazines. Bet you didn't know America signed a treaty with the aliens in 1954, allowing them to build secret bases and carry on human abductions and experiments. In between sightings and factional infighting among the true believers, Holtzer also sneaks in the rationalist point of view as explained by the Snorg Hypothesis (which, at its heart, is the fact that you can't prove a negative).

Lost in all the action is her detecting couple, police lieutenant Karl Genesko and his fiancee Anneke Haagen, but that's all right. It's really the story of how Kaplan learns that pitfalls of ambition in the pursuit of a story, and I can't tell you how nice it feels to meet a character who gives a credible imiation of a reporter. "The Silly Season" is a hoot of a book, and the temptation to read parts of it aloud is hard to resist. Those who believe that the "X-Files" is a documentary will find this offensive in the extreme. To the rest of us, "The Silly Season" is a wild carnival ride into the middle of a media whirlwind and out the other side.

"The Silly Season" is a lighthearted, entertaining and, yes, silly mystery that centers around UFO sightings during the summer term at the University of Michigan. Are extraterrestrials responsible or is it all an elaborate hoax? And who murdered the ufologist history professor? This well-written spoof really is great fun. Among the targets sent up are UFO freaks, postmodernists, New Agers, animal-rights extremists, "victim" groups demanding reparations, news reporters, conspiracy theorists, true believers generally, and even the professional skeptics whose viewpoint the author shares. And if you don't already know what the Snorg Hypothesis is, you can find out by reading this book.

When student-news reporter Zoe Kaplan observed the UFO flying over the 106,000 capacity University of Michigan stadium, she assumed a hoax was being perpetrated. Zoe soon learns that she was not alone as numerous individuals from all the various walks of life that make up Ann Arbor claim the same sighting. Soon, an army of ufologists and reporters, rivaling Woody Hayes and his Ohio State football team "visiting" that college to the North, invade the city. THE SILLY SEASON lives up to its title as it is an inane, but absolutely jocular who-done-it. The story line is loaded with weird circular thinking from ufologists, professors, and reporters, so much so that Mr. Spock would suffer from a nervous breakdown. However, in the hands of Susan Holtzer, the plot becomes a lighthearted satire, spoofing the alien invasion, and the media and public who love and support it. Susan Holtzer takes pleasure in debunking the UFO crowd and the media frenzy that follows them within her witty and humorous tale.

Susan Holtzer's other University of Michigan mysteries are a joy to read: Anneke and Karl are well developed, likeable characters and the University setting is an integral part of the unfolding of events. But "The Silly Season" doesn't continue with the same fine writing and skill. Holtzer admits she's trying for a 'farce', an entr'acte, something light and humorous. What she ends up with is a monumental bore. The murder (of a character so poorly developed we don't much care whether he's dead or not) is set among some supposed UFO sightings, and the action is populated by some cartoon-like, one dimensional Believers, who squabble among each other like hungry ducks fighting over breadcrumbs of ideas. Anneke and Karl are back--the policeman and his fiancee whom he improbably invites to witness all kinds of action--and Zoe the student reporter and her superficial friends. The story is bogged in UFO lore, and shallow people argue and play tricks on each other and somebody even murders one of them. But by the time the reader discovers that the UFOs are a lie and the murder is real, the book has degenerated to a farce and the only truth is his yawn.

Excellent stuff. I belong to the Mystery Book Club in the Ypsilanti District Library (sometimes Ann Arbor lets us read their authors) and this was our June read.

A nice story of the NC2A, The Big House, murder most foul, and the struggling relationship that Anneke has with herself. Ah. To surrender to love . . . or not? Susan certainly has the Ann Arbor crowd going. I only got 20 pages before I put on my smoking jacket and put a Miles Davis CD on the Sony. (Sorry it was only a Sony. I wonder if there's a help group in A squared I can join?)

Great fun. Tight descriptions. Lots of characters (don't you love Zoe?) seamlessly introduced. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury

This mystery takes place at the University of Michigan in the mid-'90s. Anyone around town then will find a lot of fun, familiar elements in this book. Early on in the book, a meeting is held in Michigan Stadium, which is unusual but not unknown since the stadium is generally open during the day. For the uninitiated, "maize" is the specific shade of yellow that Michigan uses in its school colors.

There is a lot of journalistic intrigue in the book, too, as a writer for the campus paper (the Michigan Daily) competes for scoops with the Detroit dailies. All in all, it's a fun read.

Computer consultant, Anneke Haagen, is anticipating a special weekend of football festivity, especially since her live-in love, police lieutenant and former pro football star, Karl Genesko, will be honoured at the event. But the fun turns to suspicion and unease when student reporter, Zoe Kaplan, breaks a story about recruitment impropriety at the University of Michigan. Unease turns to shock when a National Collegiate Athletic Association investigator is murdered with a flagpole through his stomach.

Although I don't know much about football, I do know it has lots of rules. Susan Holtzer's BLEEDING MAIZE AND BLUE taught me that the recruitment of promising athletes appears to have even more rules. In cities like Ann Arbor, Michigan, where football is a huge deal, breaking recruitment rules is almost a deadly sin, one that ruins careers and reputations.

For some, these are high stakes indeed, but they aren't for Anneke and this is part of the problem with this novel. There was far too little tension for the protagonist. Anneke's only just met the people who have the most to lose by the recruitment scandal, not to mention a murder charge. Despite some reference to Karl being a suspect, this angle isn't pursued. Other than befriending Zoe and satisfying her own curiosity, Anneke has no real stake in solving the crimes. Another problem is that the subplots aren't developed. We do learn that Anneke has her own consulting business, a new home that needs repairs, and a part-time housekeeper who clearly doesn't like her, but other than flitting in and out of her office, showing a friend her home, and dealing with the housekeeper, we see too little of Anneke's life. The tension could have been ramped up by giving Anneke her own work deadlines, renovation nightmares, or real threats to her and Karl's safety. Still, the main plot held together well and for those who love football, it's an entertaining read.

I am a cozy mystery addict, and extremely hard to please. This book by Susan Holtzer satisfied my craving for cozy and passed my picky muster. The plotting is a joy, the characters are well-developed and the humor is chuckle-making. Bleeding Maize and Blue is warm, well-written and just too much fun.

The director of the museum in Manistee told me that my grand-uncle married a lady, Anna Maria Johnston, who was a descendant of a distiguished Chippewa woman, Woman of the Glade, who had married a man named John Johnston and the story was in this book.
There is another story about the Johnstons called Harps Upon the Willows by Marjorie Kohn Brazier. I am always waiting for a fine director to read these stories to make the movie. And while I wait for the films the Native Americans are still waiting for treaties to be signed and for other treaties to be recognized.
This is a wonderful book but no one can read it without crying their heart out.

This book is more a chronicle than a novel, and wonderful it is to see it back in print. Janet Lewis wrote this account, imaginatively elaborated, of one of the most important families in the history of Michigan using the journals of John Johnston, the family patriarch, other family journals and memoirs, and personal interviews with members of the fourth generation Johnstons, whom Lewis knew as a girl. It is a superb read, nonetheless: rapt, poetic at times, historically accurate, elegant, and absorbing. It contains one of the finest depictions of Indian life ever written and certainly offers one of our finest portrayals of the "invasion" of Indian country by the fast encroaching Europeans in the late colonial period. Lewis's style is not for everyone, however. Her writing, as polished as it is elsewhere in her oeuvre, is a tad uneven in this, her first prose work (first published in 1932 by the excellent and now defunct Swallow Press). That's hard for me to say, since I love her novels and have long been one of their leading advocates. The narrative loses momentum and wobbles at times, and some characters are rather poorly sketched. Some scenes appear to be unfinished, dashed off, or ill-conceived. Her descriptive passages are, moreover, very intensely beautiful, almost imagistic. Lewis was a fine poet -- a very fine poet, I should say -- and her bent toward Imagism, as found in the poetry of Ezra Pound and many another leading poet in the first half of the 20th century, deeply influenced her narrative style. I love her passages of description, but I realize that not everyone takes to this sort of lyrical style. To sum things up, the novel is an account of the family of John Johnston, an Irishman who came to the wilderness around incredibly remote and rugged Lake Superior as a trader at the end of the 18th century. He married the daughter of an Ojibway "chief" (her nickname became Neengay), and established himself as one of the community elders in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, which was British at the time of his arrival in 1791, but became American in the War of 1812, an affair which plays a role in the story. Midway through the book, the narrative turns to the next generation of the Johnstons, John and Neengay's children, and later moves on the 20th-century Johnstons. It is astounding how quickly the world of the Indians changed, in less than 100 years, and the invasion that brought this change about is the main theme of Lewis's chronicle. In the opening, we read about John Johnston struggling to survive the winter in a small drafty cabin on the uninhabited western shores of Superior and in the end see the Soo Locks open and the Indians witnessing the once unimaginable event of long steamers coming up the once impassable rapids on the Saint Mary's River and entering Lake Superior. A number of important historical figures come into the account, such as Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Johnston's son-in-law, who used Neengay's stories to form the tales that Longfellow later used to write "Hiawatha" (a somewhat sad fate for the fascinating myths of the Ojibway), and Lewis Cass, who led an expedition across Superior in 1820 after visiting Johnston's outpost and eventually became the first governor of Michigan. There's plenty more to keep your interest, and the history is mostly accurate, so far as I am able to judge. In "Invasion", you will discover some of the most perceptive writings on the life of the northern Indians and the frontier, as well as explore the meaning of the invasion that forms its theme. I hope you will give Janet Lewis a try. Check out what the star ratings mean for me at my amazon site.

Anneke Haagen has married the man of her dreams, Karl Genesco, former professional football player and now Ann Arbor policeman, and is on her honeymoon in the Foodie capital of the world, San Francisco. Between the souffles, fusion, calories, carbs and sensualness of what we eat, a critic of "unhealthy" food is murdered and the suspects are legion.
This is a light book (too many characters, its one fault) but the author, is obviously "fed up" (pardon the pun) with the new moral police, what I like to call the NPR crowd. Namely, the huge cottage industry of academia/bureaucrats who revel in telling the general public what and how we should eat, drink, smoke, wear, invest, travel - all with the rabid conviction of a televangelist on a last crusade against Satan. In this case, it's our public servants who want to tax "bad food" and force us to eat "correct" foods for our own good, you understand. The bad guy is an obvious take on Atkins (whose diet did wonders for me a couple of years ago I might add).

The perpetrator of the crime is a surprise - well, not really when one considers [plot spoiler] DC and the headiness of power. Throughout, Anneke has witty and sometimes deep insights about her fellow citizen and their motivations. The honeymoon is less-than-romantic since all emotions of desire and love center on food and not people. Nice read.

Which of the extremist Foodies killed the pleasure-hating Food Nazi? Her former boss, the nutcase nutritionist politician? The celebrity chef, or his anorexic social climbing wanna-be-lover (whose own hubbie strays with a Reubenesque beauty), or the going for broke restaurant owner? If you've ever wanted to slap silly someone who ruined a great dinner by dithering on about wine or varieties of mushrooms, this lightweight mystery is for you. Plus, series crimesolvers Anneke and Karl finally get a honeymoon.

Is it possible for Michigan computer consultant Anneke Haagen and her pro-football-player-turned cop hubby to enjoy a quiet honeymoon in San Francisco? Apparently not--their romantic idyll is disrupted when Anneke and Karl witness the murder of a beautiful graduate student in a sports bar, and Anneke and Karl must set aside their amorous exploits to solve the case.

This book is a delightful, one-evening read; just sit down with your favorite Midwestern cuisine and nibble away. Or better yet, take the book with you on your next trip to San Francisco. The author, Susan Holtzer, has included her own favorite real-world SF restaurants in the novel, so this book can do double duty: read it in the airport as a murder mystery, then take Better than Sex around the city with you as a local dining guide!

Lindsay Summers probably had it coming. After all, if you're a complete witch, sleep with a married man, try to get major food groups outlawed, blackmail your advisor, and produce bad research for your disertation, you are probably going to get poisoned. The only question is, who is going to do it.

Just about everyone at the San Francisco sports bar where Lindsay is doing her 'research' are candidates. Even our heroine, Anneke Haagen was just about mad enough to do something violent. But only one of them actually killed Lindsay. Anneke and her police lieutenant Karl volunteer to help the San Francisco police. Better yet, they bring on their secret weapon, Zoe Kaplan, 19-year-old journalism student, to investigate. It's just as well that they do. Zoe turns out to be the only character in the novel who does much investigation at all. While Anneke eats her way through San Francisco, Zoe puts herself in danger and digs out all of the facts.

BETTER THAN SEX is well written, amusing, and offers fine characterization for the minor characters. Unfortunately, the primary characters, Anneke and Karl, don't actually play much of a role in the mystery. Maybe they should have focussed on their honeymoon.

I enjoyed reading this book but think Holtzer could have toned down the food and turned up the mystery.

Even on their honeymoon in romantic and picturesque San Francisco, Ann Arbor police Lieutenant Karl Genesko and his new bride Anneke Haagen cannot get away from murder. The newlyweds are eating brunch at the trendy bistro Maize and Blue when a food researcher at Anneke's table suddenly keels over and dies. Somebody put poison in the deceased's tomato juice and since Karl is on the scene when the death took place, he is called by his San Francisco counterpart to explore the Ann Arbor connection.

Most of the people sitting at the table where the victim was killed had some kind of tie to Ann Arbor. The victim, Michigan graduate Lindsay Summers, was obsessive about food. She wanted legislation passed to force people to eat right and she had the ear of a Michigan Congressman who jumped on her bandwagon and made it an issue. Karl, Anneka and the SFPD work together to find the killer but in the end it is Zoe, Anneka's friend at the university who risks her life to solve the case.

In this long running series, Susan Holtzer has a knack of creating characters that will appeal to her audience ensuring that they will want to read all forthcoming books. BETTER THAN SEX is a who-done-it with a lot of humor intertwined into the story line, thus ensuring that the tension never becomes unbearable. The great aspect of this series is that Ms. Holtzer makes us believe that passionate love can be found at fifty as easily as it can at twenty-five.

Harriet Klausner

It is so enjoyable to read books that are set in my favorite city of all...the home of the Michigan Wolverines! As if that is not cool enough, some of Holtzer's books also are set in my other favorite city, San Francisco. The Ann Arbor and University of Michigan references are great. In this particular book, she even alludes to an actual comment that former Michigan State football coach Darryl Rogers made about how U of M people are
"arrogant asses." She does this without specifically mentioning Rogers or MSU, but a true Wolverine (or Spartan) fan will know what she is talking about.

A focused plot, abundant humor, and intriguing personality. Hilarious portrayal of the garage sale scroungers is another definite strength. A lot of fun for readers who enjoy bright characters , fast-moving action and a really good plot.

No complaints here!

Anneke was not believable as a computer consultant. She was not likable, coming off as a very self-obsessed, shallow clotheshorse. The author's writing technique got very much in the way of the telling of the story. The rules of fair play in handling a mystery were not, in my opinion, followed. Things were very deus ex machina. I was not satisfied with how the mystery was solved.

I picked this up at the library the other day, expecting a little story to pass the time. Instead I was rewarded with a little gem of a mystery centered around...yard sales. Mrs. Avid Reader says it is truly amazing what you can learn by reading and I have to agree. I thought yard sales were for broken down couches, old tools, 10-year old shirts and gifts from Aunt Erma. Apparently though, depending on the "socio-economic" class of the neighborhood it is possible to find a diamond in the rough.

In this case, one of the yard sale buyers / antique dealers found something worth killing over and the only clue is her dying last word, JAP. Of course there is an Oriental lady with a husband (professor, who else?) who dislikes policemen viscerally. There are the playboys, those who collect Art Deco (our heroine), modern, Oriental or eclectic. Directing the investigation is Lt. Karl Genesco, former professional NFL star with the Steelers. Anneke is a software developer (semi-realistic descriptions) who does work for the police. The two meet, fall for each other and solve the crime. Nothing complex, deep or soul-searching - just a good yarn about Ann Arbor and the people who live there.

SOMETHING TO KILL FOR was the third winner of St. Martin Press's Malice Domestic contest. That means this is the first book published by this author.

Anneke Haagen spends a morning scouring garage sales -- she'd actually asked her friend Joyce in a moment of weakness and desperation for a change of scenery -- if she could go along. She finds a treasure and is delighted to get it for pennies. The day goes along successfully for both until they notice a fellow antiquer's car parked in an odd place. Things don't look right, so they stop to help. The woman dies, speaking one politically incorrect clue at the end.

That clue leads authorities to Anneke's friend and Anneke vows to help her. The story moves along at a lively pace. It's an amusing, entertaining read with good characterization in an intriguing setting -- perfect for those of us who love to cozy up with a cozy.

I can't decide what I liked least about this book. The overused vulgarities? The jargonese? The plot? If I ever encounter this plot again, I'll put the book down. Oh, well. At least Holtzer didn't bump off any of her sleuth's nearest or dearest.

Ann Arbor police lieutenant Karl Gensko and computer programmer Anneke Haagen are marrying in a week, but neither feels totally happy since they are prime suspects in an ongoing homicide. A mail bomb killed Vince Mattus, a person belonging to the Internet list Game Spinner. Near the victim's computer was a note that named seven of the players including Anneke under the ominous header "The Black Mail Game. "

The Ann Arbor police department forces Karl to go on extended leave because he is a prime suspect due to his relationship with Anneke. However, neither Anneke nor Karl can stand to sit idle while the FBI conducts the investigation. They want their names cleared before they go on their honeymoon, so they conduct a bit of sleuthing that places them in danger of becoming the next victims.

Anyone who has participated on-line will want to read THE WEDDING GAME. Anyone who has not, but reads this exciting realistic novel, will want to join a discussion group. Susan Holtzer has written her best Haagen tale to date as she uses the sub-plot of the upcoming nuptials to provide humor and insight into the lead couple. The unique mystery has an intriguing twist since most of the characters have never met outside of cyberspace. This plot device works because of Ms. Holtzer's strong storytelling abilities.

Harriet Klausner

I think I've been on the Internet as long as Anneke, and I've been hanging out in chat rooms and listserves since before point and click. I even played Adventure on my TRS 80 with its tape drive. So yes, I enjoyed the nostalgia of much of this setting, especially the Adventure interactive text game quotes and references.

And I related to the listserve interaction and the flame wars and other background devices that Holtzer used in the novel. But as a good mystery novel....not exactly. The characters were thin, and the ending was disappointingly abrupt. And really, it's pretty hard to stir up much feeling for a mystery which is solved by e-mail with the help of a couple of geeks and a suspended cop fiance.

It's an entertaining afternoon read...but by no means a first class mystery novel.

My mom took this book out of the library. The whole time she read it she said, "When I'm done, you're going to LOVE this book!"

So she finished it.

I read it in one sitting.

I wish it were out in paperback now; I'd buy a dozen or more copies and send them to all my friends.

This is a well-written mystery. It wasn't so detail-oriented as to make the reader clutch his head in one hand and an Excedrin in the other -- yet I could visualize what was going on. The characters were fun but not frivolous.

Most amazingly, from my years on newsgroups, I could TOTALLY IDENTIFY with the online personae. This makes this book very real.

I highly recommend it.

Again, my mom was right

I eagerly awaited this book's availability at my local library, as I have read all the other Anneke Haagen books with pleasure. I was particularly looking forward to this book, because of the expected nuptials of Anneke and Karl Genesko. Unfortunately, this book disappointed me on severals levels.

First of all, in what I thought was a fairly weak ruse, Susan Holtzer takes Genesko out of the picture almost completely early on. This isn't what I've come to expect from his participation, so that was disappointing.

Secondly, she introduces us a little more to Anneke's annoying family, which wasn't very fulfilling at all in terms of character interaction either.

I think a good mystery is predicated on the reader's caring for either the victim, the killer, or the crime solver, and in this book, which takes place a lot in an online forum, I couldn't muster up any concern for any of them. Yes, there is a certain amount of cleverness to the plot, but I missed the meat of the character's interacting with one another, and I found so much Virtual Reality to be distracting.

Ms. Holtzer said she wasn't sure it would work at the end of the book, and I don't think it did. At least, it didn't for me.