W Books

This is an excellent history book. Even though I was had to read the book in many sittings, I never lost the train of thought of the author.

My only criticism is that I really wanted to learn more about Peter the Great and how he built St. Petersburg. I felt the book was lacking in this very important aspect of the history of Russia

Book was very easy reading and well organized. One of the best history books I have read.

if you want to no about the early to last romanov's and russia history this book is for you.this writer leave nothing out.

W. Bruce Lincoln's history of the 300 years of Romanov rule in Russia (1613-1917) is easily his most readable account of Russian history. While Professor Lincoln's research is meticulous as ever, in this volume he has to cover far more ground than in his other more focused histories and thus he avoids some of the digressions that he normally might allow himself. The result is a superb one-volume history of the Tsars and Tsarinas who determined Russia's development from a minor principality into the largest empire on earth.

The Romanovs consists of four parts: Muscovite beginnings (1613-1689), the Rise of an Empire (1689-1796), Empire Triumphant (1796-1894) and the Last Emperor (1894-1917). The first three parts each consist of several chapters, with the first covering biographical details of the Tsars and Tsarinas in that period, followed by chapters on political and cultural changes in that period. There are only two significant problems with what is otherwise a superb presentation: a non-chronological methodology and a lack of a single supporting map of Romanov domains (there are two maps of St Petersburg's layout). In the first case, Lincoln tends to keep coming back to Tsars in subsequent chapters on culture, politics, etc which is very confusing. Indeed, he seems in a rush to plow through the biographies of the Tsars, then revisit their cultural accomplishments, then come back again and discuss their political accomplishments, and then maybe discuss a few scandals or wars. As for the lack of maps, it makes it extremely difficult for the reader to evaluate the territorial expansions of the various Romanov rulers or Russia's growth over three centuries.

Despite these two flaws, the Romanovs is a delightful read for anyone with a scholarly interest in Russian imperial history. Perhaps the three most significant rulers that Lincoln assesses are Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Nicholas II. Most histories tend to elevate Peter to hero status, but Lincoln's evaluation is more mixed. While Peter gets great credit for pushing Russia to modernize, the costs he incurred may have been too great. In particular, Lincoln questions Peter's obsession with building his capital on totally unsuitable terrain; the fact that the Russians were able to eventually succeed in constructing Peter's dream capital often disguises the fact that the human and financial losses were exorbitantly wasteful. The reader will be left to ponder the question that if Peter had built his capital elsewhere, Russia's development might have been much less painful. As for Catherine, Lincoln prefers to minimize the scandal and corruption associated with her court and view this as the golden age of Russian cultural development. Finally, Nicholas II appears as even more of a fatalistic dolt bent on self-destruction than he did in Lincoln's previous books. In sum, The Romanovs provides a solid and very readable account of Russia's development under the Tsars and Tsarinas.

A genuinely great book. Lincoln certainly could write, and make
all those old Russians seem really interesting. As Lincoln's
former students (including me) know, his lectures were tediously
boring, so that makes the books all the more remarkable.

By writing the stories from every character's point of view, Dubus gave me an understanding of why people do the things they do. It sounds simple enough, but it obviously isn't. People we know or read about, suddenly explained.

Andre Dubus never seems to have quite made the splash Raymond Carver did, but the two are similar in style and concerns. Carver's strengths and weaknesses are seen in this collection. I found most of the writing overwrought and overdone. Way too often I was thinking, "Oh, come on, no one thinks like that except a writer trying to create a 'character'." The occasional deft detail or intriguing quirk was lost in a level of introspection that would exhaust Molly Bloom. Good writing overdone is as bad as dreadful writing; the legs get tired from slogging through the piled on adjectives and morose reflections. And if you hated the film of "In the Bedroom", as I did, wait until you read its source. Even worse!

I was ready to toss the thing, but for whatever reason (psychotic completion syndrome, I would guess) I plowed on to the end. And discovered two mega diamonds. The final two stories would rank among the best I've ever read. "Adultery" is just about perfect. Clearly this is a geography Dubus knows well, and wow, does he portray it with devastating power. The small details pile up as we watch a self-absorbed Dostoevskian jerk destroy life and love while gaining plaudits and producing (we assume) mediocrity. What a story; it is easy to see how even fine writers become such megalomaniacal fools. And the conclusion, "A Father's Story" (a prefect title for this gem) wrenches and tears and torments the gut and the conscience. The two final tales show what could have been; the preceding ones left me, at least, annoyed and bored, and, when reading the greatness achieved, sad.

I just finished reading Dubus's Selected Stories for the fourth time. I've also read his other books, and I'm glad to report that Dubus is one of the few writers whose work can be read again and again with increased pleasure, a rare enough thing.

So many kinds of stories are packed into this volume -- short stories and novellas, deep character studies ("A Father's Story"), topical stories ("The Fat Girl"), "high concept" stories ("Killings"), stories with a deep knowledge of the intersections among family, sex, and faith ("Voices from the Moon"), stories that understand compassion and forgiveness ("Rose"), and stories that explore love in the midst of reckless violence ("The Pretty Girl")

Although many of these stories are thrilling enough, plot-wise, to keep you reading, it's the deep knowledge of the motivations, the pecadillos, the generosities, the anger, the unease, the longings, and most of all the love we are all capable of holding in our hearts, all at once, that makes these stories so worthwhile. Andre Dubus does not shy away from the dark places, and he writes his characters with such empathy that we are willing to go there with them, with him.

Selected Stories is an important book, and a book well worth a patient first read. I think it is a book that will stand the test of time. If there is any justice in the world, it will be read a hundred years from now, a necessary bit of news about what it was like to live in the twentieth century, no less indispensible than Hemingway, Faulkner, or Fitzgerald, and ten times as wise.

Andre Dubus's stories, as they wrestle with the issues of religion, morality, and familial duty, captivate the reader with strong narration and elegant foreshadowing. They also employ various shifts in point of view, and sustain the reader's interest while taking detours for lengthy description and interesting back-story.

I was unable to finish the book all in one shot because I found I needed to stop and reflect in between stories, so moved was I--mostly because Dubus had a way of taking our simple understandings of the world--juxtaposing violence and innocence, faith and the faithless, priests and adulterers, sinners and the redeemed, the dead and the living--and making them complex.

I was bowled over by some of the first stories in the selection, "Killings" and "The Pretty Girl", which take horrible, violent situations and try to make some sense of them by offering the protagonists the opportunity for revenge. But the satisfaction in that revenge is fleeting for it takes almost as much out of those who have acted out of revenge than the original crime did.

"If They Knew Yvonne" is another story of revenge--except this time it is a young man who at one point seeks to wash away his sin (masturbation) by doing himself physical harm. He does not like that he is weak in his body and seems to believe that his sin taints the rest of his life. That is until a priest sets him straight. In the end, he is left reflecting on his two young nephews and hoping for a better understanding for them.

At his best, I think, is Dubus when he took the POV of a woman or girl. In "Anna" , the protagonist, Anna Griffin age 21, helps her boyfriend, Wayne, to rob a drugstore and is then weighed down by guilt (although she never names it as such--either she is incapable, unaware or avoiding the truth). After the robbery, Anna and Wayne go to their local bar and get drunk--out of a sense of exhilaration and fear. In a poignant moment, Anna walks outside to clear her head and briefly reveals her youth and, perhaps, her sense of hopefulness (which one imagines will never be fully realized)--almost as though she is reborn. With the money they have stolen, Anna and Wayne buy a bunch of things at the mall (instead of filling their fridge). But neither of them can fully enjoy these things as they imagined they would. They are still the same, poor desperate couple but with a vacuum cleaner, television and stereo. It would be easy to project their path as one of disaster, but Anna's hopefulness in the end leaves the door open for a breakthrough. In the Laundromat, she washes their clothes and seems to cleanse them both of their sins and bring them back to the beginning.

"A Father's Story" is the last story in the book and the only one I had read previously. It is deserving of its location and an intense and moving story--once again how man can become his own God and thus be forgiven for what he does to protect his children.

Still, the story that left me most breathless was the second to last one, "Adultery." It is a complex story of a husband--Hank (a writer)--and wife--Edith--who have fallen into an open marriage (the husband sort of springs it on her several years in that he believes in fidelity but not monogamy). For a few years, Edith takes revenge on Hank by taking several lovers, but he is nonplussed and brings his own girlfriends by the house on occasion. It is not until Edith commits adultery with the ex-priest Joe--whose frail body comes to embody their sin--that she is awakened. It is when Joe becomes ill with cancer and has his final point of communion (the night before he is admitted to the hospital for good they have sex one last, fevered time) that Edith realizes what she must do--still it takes a while for her realization to live and it is not until the very end that she speaks it: she will divorce Hank--thus signaling the death of her true love. She sacrifices their marriage to condone for the sins they have all committed.

What is most beautiful about Dubus's writing is his love of his characters. He seems not to judge them. He seems to see their faults, allow them their failings, ask that they redeem themselves and then offer them forgiveness. He is, then, their God--but not a pure God, not a God without sin himself. A God who can empathize because, in the end, that's all we really have that makes us human.

First, the author was in my dad's squadron when he was killed in action. But his thoughts about the war while he was a bomber pilot sounded a lot like some of the times that are being saidnow about the current conflicts around the world.

Bert's narrative of the different missions he flew showed the fear or devil may care attitude of other people who also flew bombers during WWII.

Overall.. after 64 years the insite is remarkable.

This is not close to the first review of this book. Read the other listings for much more detail.

I gave the book 5 stars, but it isn't at that level as a piece of literature. However, it is well beyond that level as an artifact of history. As I write this in late 2003, the Denver Post has almost daily obituaries for the WWII generation. Soon they will all be gone. In another 30 years the Vietnam vets, in another 50 the Gulf kids. Each will leave some worthwhile fragments of their experience, this is one of the better ones I've found from the WWII group.

As a Denver kid that had problems with Denver Pub Schools, sat on the bench for high school football, went off to war in Vietnam, flew in the Navy, I found Stiles' book to be a godsend, to understand MY life, and my relationship with my father's generation. Read it because it is a ROUGH manuscript, obviously not well edited, and it is honest, and for any number of reasons, it seems that honesty comes at a premium and probably always has.

The current President, who had the opportunity to really be a combat pilot and did everything he could to avoid it, now poses on flight decks. The current Governor of Colorado, who never did a day in the military, passed out pictures of himself in a flight-suit climbing down from a aircraft wing to associate himself with a strong defense. What a miserable collection of mutts compared to their father's generation.

The remarkable thing about these kids wasn't that they were courageous heroes, but because they weren't and they still got the job done. One bloody, gut-wrenching day at a time. Spin that.

Not much I can add to what others have written about the Big Bird. I first read the book while in college in the late 1960s. Some years later I lent the paperback to a friend and it went up in smoke during a fire. I was stunned and mad because I liked to go back on occasion and read a chapter or two when I felt I needed to read something from Bert. Now, to make a short story long, after years of trying to find another copy, the internet came along and I started to find out about Bert. I began pulling things up and contacting various folks. I came across one fellow and damned if they weren't having a get-together honoring Bert at Colorado College. I was there. It lasted two days and no more than a handful of old folks were in attendence (at the time I was in my mid 50s and I was the second yougest person there). As I was leaving at the end of the remberance a fellow took hold of my arm and asked if I would like to have a stack of books. They were compiled by friends of Bert's some time long after he had died! Of course I accepted them! There were writings ranging back to his high school days in Denver. Some of the stuff is pretty good, some not so good. But, the short stories (sorry, there is no lost novel) I found had a appeal for the time and demonstrated Bert's growth as a writer.

Yes, I too think Bert was on the brink of becoming a well known writer. He did, by the way, write for a magazine in New York. I have the books and I still return to then when I need a good laugh (Bert was quite a wit) or just want to step back into the late 30s or early 40s. There must be 5-6 of these books (private publisher, sorry). The fellow who organized the 'event' is no longer with us as, I would guess, many of the others aren't. My God, most were in their very late 70s or early-mid 80s. Alas the group is leaving us at an astounding rate.

Okay, I'm done now. The book gets 5 stars and I have been able to give you a very brief look at Bert and some of his pals - though not many. Yes, there are other "books" by Bert and you might just get lucky and find some of them.

I first read this book in 1960 and discovered that Bert Stiles was my uncle-Robert Langford's roommate in "Copilot House". I sent my copy to my uncle who subsequently got a copy (long out of print) from the publisher. He said the story was pretty much like things were. He said Bert Stiles always said he was writing a book but then everybody was writing a book. I have my uncle's copy filled with photos of the "Big Bird" full of holes afer Leipzig. The aircraft never flew again. It was repaired and blew up with the sqadron commander and chaplain aboard on it's test flight.

When Bert Stiles wrote this book, the war was still raging across the world. It was 1944, he had just completed a horrific tour of duty as a B17 co-pilot, and the memories were fresh in his mind. Even though Bert seemed to be a somewhat sensitive man, some of his words have a callous feel to them. He talks about the officers and enlisted men forming a baseball team, and "..after the Schweinfurt raid, we had to replace the whole infield"-Simply put, so many men had been killed on that mission, no one was left to play on the team. Bert was an intelligent man, a good writer, but he lacked the experience to know when to back out of the war. Passive, intelligent, creative people do not make good fighter pilots. Bert was killed in action shortly after writing his memoirs.

Of the many, many books I have read on this topic (which is one of my areas of interests) this is book is by far the best one I have read. This would be, in my opinion the most complete, informative and unbiased work on the subject.
The book covers just about everything most readers would like covered on Serial Murder. It covers fact, fiction, history, definitions, in fact everything you could imagine. I could not believe just how much is packed into the 380 odd pages.
Not only is the book a wealth of knowledge on the subject (and many related areas eg Stalking, Insanity Defences) but is also loaded with 'Profiles' of many individuals (and teams) to illustrate the area under discussion. Many tables also provide interesting reading.
The book also looks at the phenomina of Serial Murder in countries other than the USA.
Another thing I really like is the way Hickey presents various aspects and theories. Hickey discusses all the theories, views etc along with their apparent strenghts and weaknesses. For example, other authors I have read flatly dump the FBI Psychological Profiling Model. Hickly presents all the pros and cons on the topic in a very unbiased manner.
This book is not just a good book, it is a great book. It is a 'must have' in your collection, if this is your area of interest or you really want to learn about it. If someone asked me for just one book to read on Serial Murder, this would be the one. It covers so many topics within a topic, yet it is concise and very readable. The average person with no knowledge on this topic would walk away with a good 'working knowledge'.
I have read the book twice and have now been drawn back to a third read.
I will now be searching for other works by this author and congratulate him on a 'classic'.

This is an excellent reference book, but what really makes it stand out is the "Mind of a Killer" CD-ROM included with it.

The videos and searchable information on the CD-ROM really bring the subject vividly to life. There documentaries on about a dozen famous cases with footage I'd never seen before including confessions made to police, interviews and courtroom scenes.

I was also impressed with the mapping system that plots the locations of different cases or types of cases with all kinds of search options.

After reviewing and studying the material within this cover, you will see life in a different way. We all want to see the good in people; As any physical realm, there is the duality from good to evil. What exactly happens when what we see the destructive nature of man? What makes the destructive destructive? Who are they? What do they think? Where do they come from? and What will they do next?
This book helped me to breeze through my serial and mass murder class ... AND actually lock onto possible perpetrators in real world scenarios.
After reading this book and studying the nature of homocide, you'll be analyzing everything through rational choice. When you walk down the street, youll look at everyone as you notice their demeanor and watch their subtle actions. You'll look at the small and obscure nuacnes in nature as you enhance your deductive reasoning. Most of all, you will build a base in whch to combat becoming a victim.
I highly recommend the first piece you read in this book to be (pg 278) "An Interview with a Male Serial Murderer". This passage will restrain you to read and study this work to its end if not for learning, but to possibly stop a tragedy such as this from happening to someone you love.
You should supplement this book with TV: A&E, Biography, and History Channels will suffice.

Being one of the lucky people in this world to study from Dr. Hickey at Fresno State, I consider this book and the Dr. to be two of the most amaizing sources of knowledge in this dark field. If you begin reading this book knowing nothing about the topic, you walk away being a sudo-expert in the field and study of Serial Killers

I am a graduate student of Dr. Hickey's at California State University, Fresno. I came to this institution specifically as a matter of curricula, and I must say that after a review of the literature both broad and exhaustive Dr. Hickey's book is the closest thing we have to the reality of our special killers' doctrine. What is most compelling about this piece of literature is the open mentality that is greatly lacking in nearly every other book out there. We have relied to a great extent on the works of the FBI and, in a much more aniquated way, the works of Freud and the general positivists.

This text is certainly a sociological treatise, but even more so it underlines the issues inherent in both criminology and a general study of human nature. What should be garnered from this read is what we DON'T know as compared to what we do. One must applaud Dr. Hickey for his ability to admit that the evaporative quality of this field of study is prevalent and must be dealt with.

Of particular interest is the discussion of the mythology surrounding "serial killers" and the true affect with which they operate. Take these things for what they are worth and you are left with many questions. I have no doubt in my mind that this was the objective of Dr. Hickey, and is ideally the objective of any social scientist. Those who wish to comprehend the nature of serial killers will not find all their answers here, but they may find some questions that our humanity dearly needs to be addressed; the most important part.

This chilling new book has more twists and turns than an amusement park ride. Chris Knight uncovers the shroud of secrecy about his mysterious father Al Capone's son, William knight. The search for the truth brings revelations on leading a double life.
Chris Knight's memoir 'Son of Scarface,'is a must read. And there are
some interesting photographs.

Chris Knight's story is fascinating. It's a tale that comes from the heart, and yet it's also backed by meticulous research. I enjoyed reading about Al Capone, but even more interesting is Knight's own story. This is not just a book for crime buffs, it's a story for anyone who's ever wondered where he comes from and what sorts of secrets are buried in his past.

...."If this is the year of truths, Son Of Scarface is a MUST READ! by Chris Knight, Grandson of Al Capone. With tremendous courage, he uncovers secrets of his mysterious father who lived an assumed identity. Compelling and heart wrenching, a Brave Knight has written an unforgettable book in search of ones self. This book inspires us all to go beyond our comfort zone.

Most of us have a proverbial 'black sheep' member of our family. It wasn't until as a 13 year old boy whose father died in his arms that Chris Knight learned that his grandfather was the notorious Chicago mafia boss Al Capone. It was at his father's funeral, attended by a large number of men previously known to Chris that he learned of his father's true identity and began what was to become his life's journey to find out all that he could about his family connection to the notorious Al Capone. Stymied by his mother's abuse and insistence that he and his sister keep his newly discovered connection a family secret, Chris was not allowed friends -- or even to go outside the gates of the family's compound. It was only when he reached adulthood that he could investigate his family's past, from his father's fraudulent birth certificate, to his mother's reluctant confirmation, to genealogical research and private investigator reports confirming and detailing Chris Knight as the grandson of one of the most notorious gangsters of the 20th Century. Of special note is the inclusion of black-and-white photos. His struggle to find out about his family's past, "Son Of Scarface: A Memoir By The Grandson Of Al Capone" is a fascinating, candid, well-written, informative biography and a highly recommended addition to community library collections.

I am not an avid reader of books, since all I do is read court documents and reports every day. But when I began reading this masterfully written book by Chris Knight, I found it very difficult to put down. With every turn of the page I wanted to find out more. The suspense and the drama keeps the pages flipping as it draws you further into the story of this boy's life searching out the truth of who his father was and were he came from. The missing years that no one can account for continues to have a gripping effect as it leaves the reader wondering along with the writer as the facts of the drama unfold. I highly recommend this book for pure good reading.

This is the most amazing book ever!!! So simply stated, but with profound meaning and life application. I love this book and give it to friends for graduation presents.

This is a simple book with a simple message -- good for use with church groups, teens, CD, and seekers in general.

I love how the illustrations are so simple and the narration is too. The author gives a difficult question in a simple way with a solution, but leaves you reflecting on how you will relate.

This book is full of great, funny commentary and cartoon illustrations of how God is always there for us. A great little book that really speaks to kids (though older people could get a good lesson out of it too) and it's the first thing I read to my class at the beginning of each school year. My own kids (5 and 4) read it over and over again, laughing at the pictures as they go.

One of the best books ever! Written as a if it were a children's picture book, it speaks volumes to adults. The simple message and delightful illustrations are powerful testimony both to human nature and God's love.

This book should be reviewed in conjunction with "The Films of
WC Fields by Deschner". WC Fields was a complex personality.
He seemed aloof from people personally. His childhood was difficult although he perfected the art of juggling during that time. He made a host of popular films including :
- Running Wild
- Two Flaming Youths
- Fools for Luck
- Her Majesty Love
- International House
- It's a Gift
- The Man on the Flying Trapeze
- My Little Chickadee
- Tales of Manhattan
- Song of the Open Road
- WC Fields and the Cosmos and many more

This work will be invaluable for film enthusiasts everywhere.

There can be little doubt that James Curtis has written the definitive biography of W.C. Fields. Readers looking for a critical appraisal of Fields's wonderful films, however, will find very little here. Curtis appears fearful of giving much in the way of opinion. Equally unfortunate, he has little in the way of a sense of humor, at least as it shows in this otherwise excellent work.

I've been a fan of W.C. Fields since my youth. There was always something about him, a certain style that he had on screen, that was unique.

This book does tell the truth behind the real W.C., and dispells many of the myths that still are current about him. He was a man that was in turn cantankerous, gentle, funny and poignant.

I for one never realized that he was such an avid reader. Books seemed to be his passion, and all during his world travels as a vaudeville juggler he carried trunks of books along the way. Anyone that reads so voraciously is bound to be an interesting personality. His vast reading no doubt contributed to his comedy that involved the word play for which he is famous. It is astounding to know that for many years in the early part of his career when he was a juggler, that he did his act in almost total silence!

A great biography that reveals the unique character that was W.C. Fields. Written in a very readable style, we can learn about this man, warts and all through this book.

Highly recommended!

Quite simply, James Curtis has written the finest book on the the funniest of the solo comedians of the golden age. I've read most of books on Fields. Trust me, Curtis' book is the only one you'll need. (sing to the tune of Strawberry Fields Forever).....W.C. Fields Forever....!!!

I became a fan of W.C. Fields when I aw a double-feature of "The Bank Dick" and "Never Give A Sucker An even Break" while I was in college, and a fan I have remained ever since. I have read three previous biographies, but this latest one is the best by far (definitely an improvement on "The Man On The Flying Trapeze"). We are given more detail, and more intimate information than was previously available, and the book delves deeply into the behind-the-scenes making of Fields' famous pictures, including the two-reelers, a few of which I possess. He was a more complicated man than most people know, and certainly more of one than they learned from other books about him. Not only is this his biography, but it takes us through vaudeville, burlesque, Ziegfield, and the early movies, both silent and talkies. There are also the forays into radio, and the "feud" with Charlie McCarthy. It's a well-written and well-rounded work, and may remain the definitive biography for a long time to come.

The plight of the people of Libby and the other sites around the country is very sad and you want to hate WR Grace and the previous mine owners and operators. While their reponsibility is not in doubt, the book could have been improved by more information about what exactly they knew and when. I'm sure Grace et al. did not cooperate with the authors, but the extensive litigation should have made some of this information available.

I am in the middle of this book and I find it very compelling. I was interested in customer reviews and when I read the last review on how the story is not yet complete because many of the victims of this scandal do not have health insurance, I felt compelled to write.

Everyone will be making a profit on this story. WB Grace made their money and now the media will make their money. While I agree that the authors have done a wonderful public service uncovering this environmental disaster, I would like to suggest that a substantial amount of the money made on this book (and the perhaps subsequent movie) could be donated to the victims. If not for their illness, there would be no story. I was recently appalled to learn about the monies that were made by media stars on the Watergate scandal while Deep Throat (whoe courage made it all possible) was not doing quite as well. For the media to make money off these stories without providing for the victims is not right either.

I want you to read this book. It is important to you and your family. I consider myself a knowledgeable person and I don't remember this scandal when it came out in 2000-2001. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I live in southern CA, but the problems with asbestos effects all of us in the US. Attic insulation, talc products and even gardening/soil products have asbestos risks that have been used and available for sale up into the 1990's and beyond.

I must have read a review or heard one of the authors in an interview...but somehow this book made it onto my "Must Read" list. When I received the book, I questioned why I had gotten it, having forgotten what motivated my interest in the first place. But I started reading and have found this book to be a treasure.

The story is one of deception, corruption and greed on the part of Big Business, in this case the mining business. The owners and executives misled their workers, investors and the government agencies that regulated them into turning a blind eye to the dangers of asbestos in their products.

While the deception of the miners in Libby was unconscionable, the book goes on to document the Bush White House withholding information that the air in and around the World Trade Center was not healthy! Can you imagine, after a tragedy like the WTC disaster, that your own government, that you rallied round to give support, would turn on you and withhold information that the air that you breathe is full of cancer causing dust? Which tragedy is worse?

The book is truly a must-read.

Lastly, I want to point out the courage of the reporters, editors, doctors and the outstanding EPA field workers that fought to get this story out. Whistle-blowers, whose main motivation is to right a wrong, are oftentimes rewarded by getting fired and branded as outcasts. This book is ultimately a story of courage and perserverance of those determined to overcome the obstacles of standing out and doing what's right.

The author Andrew Schneider tells the story of uncovering a scandal of major proportions. It is a frightening, chilling story of hidden dangers allowed by government officials whose jobs are to keep us safe. It is the story of a mineral still used in our country whose lethal dangers were recorded by Pliny the Elder. Asbestos cannot be safely used in any manner.

This book is a masterpiece of investigative journalism - well written, throughly researched and truly in the interests of the public.

The authors do a superb job of combining all the science and politics with a touching picture of the real Americans who ultimately paid and are paying the price for corporate greed and governmental push-overs.

If you read just one book this year, this should be it!

Let me add my name to the list of adults who's lives were affected by this book - I must have checked it out of the library 12 times when I was a boy, and the author's strong narrative along with the early sci-fi robot images have never left me. I agree with the other reviewers, it's a pity it's not still in print. I suppose by today's technologically savvy kids' standards it's quite dated, but as with all good fiction, it was the story - Andy's intelligence and determination - that made this the inspirational book it was for me.

I read this when I was a youngster, and recently found this again. Its very nostalgic scifi story telling at its finest. About a young man (Andy) who builds a whole family of Robots from spare parts and old cans.

And then of course the SciFi plays in when all the robots are struck by lighting and come to life to help Andy and his friends survive a flood that also occurs at the same time.

Highly recommended for young and old!

A wonderful book that is full of adventure, intelligence, a wry sense of humor (almost reminiscent of the Henry Reed books) and fun! Not my number 1 favorite - that honor is held in a tie by "Bonnie's Boy" a wonderful (out of print) story of a young boy and his dog (still makes me cry!) and Kin Platt's "Sinbad and Me" another treasure that's out of print for some inexplicable reason. However, "Andy" is in my top five, and like others here, one that I could never get out of my head. Some of the language and technology is dated, of course, but the characters are wonderful and the story is extremely engaging.

Thank goodness that I saved my copy from childhood - who could imagine it would still be with me now? (You should have heard my shout of joy when I found it amongst some old belongings a couple of years ago!!)

My kids are going to read it soon, and I'm looking forward to talking it through with them as they read it.

I would LOVE a movie on this book - a great idea and easy to do now with "simple" FX.

Good luck to those searching for it, it's worth the wait.

It's funny, I've read hundreds of books over the years but this book has stayed on my mind since I was a kid. Andy Buckram's Tin Men was that wonderful mixture of fun, science, and luck. Andy was the kind of kid you always wanted to be. He was Boy's Life and Popular Science come to life. I'm sorry to see this terrific book is out of print. I still have my original copy, but I just can't find it anywhere. I'm afraid I lent it to some kid who never returned it. I can only hope it makes them appreciate reading as much as it did for me. Here's hoping for a reprint, and soon!

Like the rest of the reviews, this is the one book that stands out in my memory. I have been searching for this book for years. I got a copy the other day in auction at eBay. I paid about $15.00. I also found a place through Amazon called "Book Rescue" that sometimes has a copy. The price at Book Rescue is a bit higher ($80-$100) but I think any price is worth it for this wonderful book. I wonder if we start a chain letter, would we be able to get it back in print. I would love to see this in every school library in the USA. Books just arnt what they used to be!

BLOSSOM RIVER DRIVE is a multi-level literary masterwork that can be appreciated by everyone from mid-readers to James Joyce scholars. Now I read that it is being banned by California schools. Incredible! Why do we always run from what we really need?

Banned in California schools because ultra-conservative parents are afraid of having their children discuss its marginally erotic contents, this novel deserves to be read and re-read. One way I evaluate the value of a book is by its ability to tolerate multiple readings. This one does--for any one serious about discovering childhood's unspoken secrets or serious about literature that dares to shed light on areas where fiction has not previously been permitted to go.

A great novel about childhood secrets, love, life, identity, and heartbreak. This one will last as long as books are treasured as inroads into the otherwise hidden forest of human truth.

The author of the controversial novel BLOODROCK has done it again. BLOSSOM RIVER DRIVE is, as the current ad in Atlantic Monthly says, the one novel of the year you have to read. I found it irresistible, devouring it at one sitting and then going through it again to savor everything I'd missed. Read it NOW--you won't be disappointed.

This book boldly leaps into the heart of childhood secrets that the culture tells as are taboo, untouchable. Childhood is the time of grave danger and unthinkable exploration; anything is possible, including sex. This book explores these ideas in an extraordinarily direct and honest manner. It is indispensible and should be #1 on everyone's bestseller list.